Heart of the Dragon
by murgatroid-98
Summary: In the Carpathian Mountains, Belle learns to refine her gifts and use them more effectively, and that endings aren't always happy. This story follows Dark Sorrow.
1. Chapter 1

As always, the Carpathian universe belongs to Christine Feehan, I'm just playing it a while. I have proofread and edited, so please forgive me if I have missed any mistakes.

Heart of the Dragon

Chapter 1, Birth

Deborah panted with exertion then gave a final, powerful push. Blaine held her up and gave her his strength. He had blocked the pain of childbirth as much as possible. Childbirth for Carpathians was truly a team effort for the parents. Francesca sat cross-legged with her hand on Deborah's abdomen, sending her own strength in to the push while blocking the pain with Blaine.

As the baby's head came out of the birth canal, Shea quickly felt around her neck to make sure the umbilical cord was clear. She used a suction bulb to clear the infant's mouth. The tiny body turned to allow the shoulders to be delivered and the baby was out with a gush of amniotic fluid.

A shrill cry filled the atmosphere of the healing cave as the tiny girl made her presence known. Shea clamped the umbilical cord, cut it, and handed the baby off to Gregori so he could check her over carefully. She helped ease the placenta from Deborah's body and, with Francesca, began the healing process that would leave her as firm and tight as if she had never been pregnant.

In a chamber next to where the birth was taking place, a crowd of Carpathians waited, aware of everything that was taking place, sharing their strength with the couple in the birthing chamber. When he heard the infant's first cry, Mikhail walked into the chamber. He came out a few minutes later carrying a tiny, wrapped bundle. Holding the child up so she could be seen, he said, "Carpathians, come and meet our new daughter."

The baby, still damp from from the birth fluids, opened her eyes to look around. She strongly resembled her mother but had elements of her father in her features. The resemblance would increase as she lost the newborn look and her features refined. With her blue eyes and soft, fine white hair, Mikhail believed she would be blonde like her mother.

They all, mated and unmated, gazed upon the tiny face, this little miracle, who might be a life mate to one of the males. Mated pairs stood with arms around each other and poured all the love and support they could muster into the child. The unmated males sent her their hopes.

The child opened her mouth and wailed. Mikhail carried the baby back into the chamber and placed her in her mother's arms. Blaine gazed at his daughter in adoration. He offered his wrist to Deborah to give her nourishment. He would not use the more intimate way of feeding her in front of people. Mikhail offered his own wrist to Blaine so he would not have to leave his little family to feed.

This child's birth had been anxiously anticipated and Deborah had been smothered with attention and protection from the Carpathian people. With Belle's ability to find and destroy the parasites in the soil as well as the people, this child had an excellent chance at survival. She would be the first in centuries to be nourished by her mother's milk and hopefully go to ground with her parents.

Samantha came in to see her new little sister. She was eager to baby sit and really missed Tamara. Her adopted sister had gone with Maryann and Manolito back to Brazil. Genetic testing by Shea showed that Tamara was indeed Lycan and the adults thought Maryann was best equipped to help her deal with her abilities. It helped that Maryann and Tamara seemed to adore each other.

When everyone left to give little family some privacy, Deborah put the baby to her breast. The first fluid before the milk let down would provide important nutrients for the baby. They would wait a few days before taking the infant to ground and she would be monitored the entire time. Samantha would help Gary and Jubal take care of the baby during the day, but Deborah and Blaine would stay up as late as possible and get up as soon as possible to be with their child.

A/N: This was going to be longer but I decided to end it at a natural point. Some chapters will be really short and some will be longer. I will try to let the words flow and I hope you all will read and review.


	2. Chapter 2

The usual disclaimers apply. Hope you all enjoy the chapter.

Heart of the Dragon

Chapter 2, Cedric

Belle walked along the path that led back to the house she shared with Deborah, Blaine and Samantha. Deborah and Blaine would stay in the rich soil of the healing chamber until the next rising to take advantage of its properties. Belle would check the soil of their sleeping place at home to make sure it was as rich as possible and free from parasites, as she did every morning before they went to rest.

Since being told about the extremophiles, Belle had been very diligent in examining the soil of their resting places. She was able to identify the organisms and pull them to the surface for destruction, a rare talent among fully Carpathian women. Her approach was different than that of Lara, lifemate to Nicholas de la Cruz. Lara was the first to identify the thing that was killing Carpathian babies, before and after their birth, though she was still partly human at the time.

With the help of Lara and Natalya, Belle learned how to look for extremophiles in the bodies of other Carpathians. They also helped her to draw the creatures out to be destroyed. The problem was that sleeping in the soil often caused them to get re-infected. Belle's talent for finding them in the soil had stopped that cycle. Syndil went with her into the soil, teaching Belle her healing techniques and learning from Belle's experiences.

Belle had regularly been cleansing the resting soil of the other Carpathians since she exhibited this particular talent and she had made sure the soil of the healing cave was clear of the organism. This work was exhausting.

Blaine had always offered to supply her with blood since she was member of his family and under his protection. With Deborah's pregnancy, Belle felt it was too much to ask of him when she was perfectly able to hunt on her own. When she took on the task of healing the soil of the parasites, she had accepted blood from Mikhail and Gregori and a couple of other ancient mated Carpathian males and their lifemates. She would have been reluctant if the men had been unmated, but the mated males were stable and their blood was not a potential threat.

The healers had not been able determine why Belle could identify the organism when other Carpathians could not. The fact that she lived on another continent and started out as a human before being converted might be significant. Regardless of the reason, she was doing her best to rid the area of this tiny monster.

As she walked, she sensed the presence of several Carpathians around her. Everywhere she went, there was someone watching over her. Lucian and his lifemate, Jaxon, stepped out of the forest and saluted her before shifting to mist and disappearing. Lucian and his brother Gabriel often guarded her when she was out. No woman or child was ever left alone. At first, this constant hovering annoyed her but, after hearing some of the horror stories about vampires and vampire hunters attacking Carpathians, she decided she could get used to it.

Sensing another presence, she recognized Dimitri as one of her regular guardians. Dimitri's lifemate, Skyler, would soon be eighteen and he could claim her. The girl had needed a great deal of healing to get past her terror of being mated to such a formidable and ancient male, but Belle had been able to help Skyler's parents and the healers in diminishing that fear. She had gotten to know Dimitri well enough to know that he loved and cherished Skyler and would never hurt her. Belle had seen a vision of the two of them together and happy.

Lucian was at least twice Dimitri's age, over two thousand years old. It boggled her mind to think of all he had seen and experienced. He was a typical Carpathian male, possessive, domineering and bossy, and he was completely under the spell of his lifemate.

As she stepped up on the porch of the house, she sent her awareness out to make sure there were no unpleasant surprises waiting inside. This was a lesson that had been emphasized repeatedly by Blaine and now the other Carpathians she had met here in the mountains. Even with safeguards she could not be too careful.

Walking into the empty house, Belle realized how much she missed Tamara running up to her to wrap her arms around her. She knew Tamara was happy with Maryann and Manolito and she could talk with the child mentally and often did so. A sudden wave of loneliness washed over her.

When other people were around she could push the loneliness away. The years she had spent with Deborah and then the girls were wonderful and she had been content. It was only recently that she had become restless, needing something else in her life.

The Carpathians had heard of how she told Andre to look for his lifemate and had shown him a vision of her. Since then, Andre had found his other half and was living happily in San Francisco near Aidan and Alexandria. No one had heard from Tariq. Her feeling for his mate was odd. She knew there was a mate for him and sensed that he needed to go East and South in the United States. She hoped he was alright and that what she sensed for him was correct.

Belle had felt bad for Andre and Tariq back in Seattle, but in the Carpathian Mountains there were a lot more unmated males. Without Blaine as a guardian, a necessity that annoyed her to no end, she would have been constantly hounded by these men. She had endured the obligatory presentation of an unmated female to the men, but she felt like a heifer on the auction block. She was actually relieved that none of them had triggered the mating instinct. All the men were handsome, but they were all so stern and emotionless and none of them rocked her world.

Now the other males flocked to her hoping she could help them the way she did Andre. She did her best to "see" for them and often did find a location and even see a particular woman, but sometimes she got the impression that a mate had not been born yet. She encouraged the men, reminding them that some of the recent "seen" lifemates might be the mothers to young girls who would grow up to fill the emptiness in their lives. It gave them all hope if nothing else.

Belle had never "seen" her own lifemate and sometimes wondered if she had one. Of course, she had never really been able to see her own future unless it was tied to someone else's. Maybe he hadn't been born yet or was far away. She was in no hurry to find him, whoever he was.

Sometimes, unmated males were among her protectors, but there were always mated males nearby. It was too dangerous to leave a woman alone in the company of an unmated male. Those who helped protect her were those for whom she had "seen" lifemates.

Belle sensed another presence outside the house. She looked through the window to see a male form from mist. She had seen this man at a distance and knew his name was Cedric, but she had never spoken to him. He was a quiet, taciturn hunter with great darkness on his soul. Belle walked out onto the porch as Lucien and Dimitri materialized behind him.

He bowed to her respectfully.

With his head bowed he said, "I have come to ask you to see if I have a lifemate. I have come to see if there is hope." As with all the others, the loneliness in his voice tore at her heart.

She reached both hands out to take his and he raised his head to meet her eyes. The emptiness in him was frightening and his darkness almost complete. He was in danger of turning soon or giving his life up to the sun. She concentrated on him, examining the threads that bound him to earth and the other Carpathians. One thread, the one she called the "lifemate" thread led off into a mist, but it was there.

"You do have a lifemate, but I cannot see her. It may be that she is not born yet, or is much too young. That you have not turned means that she holds you here. Please don't give up. I will take a soul journey in a few risings to try to better see the threads that bind lifemates together. You have held on so long, please keep on doing it."

"I will hold on for a while longer, but I truly need hope. I will seek you out after your journey."

With this statement, Cedric bowed to her again, transformed into mist and disappeared. Lucien and Dimitri waited for a few minutes, nodded to Belle, and disappeared.

She truly believed there was a lifemate for Cedric, but was concerned that she could not see her. If she was dead, why had he not turned vampire? Belle had shared her fears with Mikhail when she could not "see" clearly. He and Gregory had encouraged her to take the upcoming soul journey to see if her foresight could be refined. The prospect of that ancient warrior and others like him succumbing to the lure of the vampire was heart-breaking. With the help of other Carpathians who had taken such journeys she would try to find answers to these problems.

***********

Deep under the mountain in a cave that remained undiscovered by Mage, Carpathian or vampire, the great scaled dragon slumbered. He had been there for over a thousand years, buried deep beneath the soil, his sleep undisturbed by war with its slaughter of the guilty and innocent alike, by earthquake or storm. The centuries had passed him by. Until now. A sense of something tremendously important nudged at his soul, causing him to begin his awakening, and the great heart beat once.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

As always, this world belongs to Ms. Feehan, I'm just playing in her back yard. I promise not to break anything.

Heart of the Dragon

Chapter 3, A Night's Work

Belle rose from her earthen bed with the remnants of a dream hanging onto her mind. She rarely dreamed since she became Carpathian and when she did, the dreams were usually a warning or had some deep meaning. This one was elusive but there was a sense of something life-changing coming at her, only she could not remember any details.

She shrugged the dream off and stretched. There was no point worrying about a dream. If it was important, she would find out soon enough.

She quickly cleaned herself of soil and fashioned a blue, long-sleeved top and a patterned wrap-around skirt that hugged her hips and flared down to her ankles. With a quick use of energy to braid her hair into a long, red rope that hung past her waist, she slipped on a pair of sandals and shifted to mist to float up to the living area of the house.

Deborah sat in a rocking chair, singing to her daughter as the infant nursed. She and Blaine had been taking her to ground with them for several days with no problem. Belle gave the baby a quick kiss on the top of her head and hugged Deborah.

"I'm so glad she's thriving." Belle said, "Everyone was really worried because the other Carpathians couldn't take their babies to ground."

"That's your doing, Belle. You found the extremophiles in the ground and got rid of them. You made it possible."

Belle was embarrassed and did not feel she deserved the praise. "I'm just thankful I was able to help. It's nice to be needed."

Deborah opened her senses to see the loneliness in Belle. "What's wrong, Belle?"

"I don't know." She searched for the right words. "I have always been happy with you and the girls, and I appreciate that Blaine wants me around." She hesitated. "I feel like I'm in the way. I'm restless. There is something missing and I don't know what it is."

Deborah felt the turmoil in her friend's mind. "You're not in the way, Belle. You were my family before Blaine came into our lives and you are our family now. You are important to us. Maybe your soul journey will help you find what you are looking for."

"I hope so." Belle looked at the baby. "Have you decided what you will name her?"

"Selene."

"That's a lovely name."

"It was my mother's name. I barely remember her. I think she was beautiful and I know she loved me. My father was devastated after her death. He always seemed so lonely." Deborah smiled wistfully.

"You can tell your daughter what you remember. A part of your mother and your father will live on in her."

"Yes, they will."

The infant finished nursing just as Blaine came into the room, his skin rosy from feeding. He greeted Belle with a hug and turned to kiss his lifemate. Belle left the room to give them some privacy as Deborah laid the baby in her bassinet.

Belle stepped on the porch and breathed in the night air, then sent her mind out to check on Samantha. The teenager was visiting Falcon and Sara's brood, helping the older children with school work. Samantha would be escorted safely home by Falcon when she was finished.

This night Belle would check the resting soil of two couples who were considering trying for babies. She had cleaned their soil before, but the extremophiles tended to return after a while. Keeping them out was an ongoing struggle. Until the Carpathians could stop them at the source, they would continue to be a problem.

When Lara and Nicholas with Natalya and Vikirnoff had explored the ice caves and found the women's aunts, Lara was able to destroy the breeding place for the parasites that let vampires identify each other. The caves were too dangerous to go back to investigate further and, while a laboratory had been found, the extremophiles had not been eradicated.

Those in the community who were skilled in science and magic worked diligently on the problem, mining Lara's and the aunts' memories for answers. It was uncomfortable to Belle to be the only one who could find the creatures in the soil and destroy them.

Though the others had helped her in that task, they could still not do it without her. This made her more valuable to the Carpathians and more likely to be targeted by their enemies.

Belle cast her mind out into the night and was answered. Nicolae and Destiny walked out of the forest to greet her. They were on "Belle duty" this night.

"Who are we visiting tonight, little sister?" Nicolae asked. He and Destiny both gave her a hug.

"I need to see Celeste and Eric first, then Diedre and Tienn. Since the extremophiles have been discovered and it's possible to cleanse the soil, both couples have decided to try to conceive again."

"They have both lost children. Celeste's last child died just after birth. It was very hard on both of them," Nicolae said.

"How do you find them, Belle, when so many others cannot?" Destiny asked.

"Lara recognized the taint of Xavier in the bodies of Carpathians. I just sense a wrongness in the body or the soil. Even if the organism mimics the surrounding cells, I can sense that it doesn't belong, and it can't hide from me."

"You have an amazing and precious talent, little sister," said Nicolae.

They quickly shifted into owl form and took to the sky to travel to their first stop. The night was clear and they could see for miles. Mist was slowly rising from the ground to fill the low places and it looked like piles of fluffy cotton in the landscape. Lights from homes twinkled here and there, with a concentration of them in the village. Flying was one of Belle's favorite parts of being a Carpathian, whether in the form of a bird, as mist, or in her human form.

Celeste and Eric waited for them on the porch of their home. The men clasped forearms and the women hugged each other.

"Thank you for coming, Belle," Eric said, "We know it is our duty to have children for our people but…"

"But it's just too painful to lose child after child," Belle responded, "I understand. We've kept the organism away from Deborah and Blaine and their daughter is healthy."

"That is what we hear. Please, enter our home."

Eric led them inside, through a well-appointed living room, to a door leading to a cellar. Celeste looked at the others apologetically.

"I am afraid there isn't room for all of us in our sleeping chamber."

"That's all right. I would like for all of you to follow me as I search the soil, but you can do that with your minds. I keep hoping someone else will be able to detect the extremophile. When I finish, I will check each of you for the microbe."

"You have checked us already," Celeste said.

"Yes, but until we can eradicate the microbe completely, it's best to check again, especially if you want to conceive. Once you do, I will check your soil frequently to make sure it stays clean."

Belle pulled her skirt up so she could kneel in the soil. Placing her palms on the soil, she sent her energy into the earth. She felt for anything that did not belong, not just organisms but toxic chemicals. Toxins traveled the earth and could be found very far from their origin. This house had been in place a long time and there was little toxicity in the soil. What was there had probably leached in from outside with the movement of water.

Belle drew these toxins to her, forming them into a tiny, hard nugget. She continued to search the surrounding soil, reaching beyond the area in the cellar to include several yards around the house. There were three of the microbes, one in the resting place and two just outside the house. She quickly focused her energy, creating a point of extreme heat and reduced the microbes to atoms. In a few more minutes, she had increased the minerals in the soil.

She pulled back into her body and took a deep, cleansing breath. Celeste and Destiny helped her to her feet and both women offered her blood, which she accepted gratefully.

"That was amazing, Belle," said Destiny. Belle shrugged.

"It is amazing," said Celeste, "Syndil has the talent to enrich the soil, but she cannot detect the microbe. You can do both."

"I think Syndil is better at enriching the soil than I am, but she can't do it when she's off with the Troubadours. Otherwise, I would just kill the microbe and let her do the enriching."

The women returned to the living room. Belle checked Celeste and Eric for the microbe. Celeste did not have one, but Eric did.

"What I want to do is chase it out of your body," Belle told him, "I'll herd it through your bloodstream to your wrist. When I give you the word, make a small cut in your wrist and let it bleed into a bowl."

A few moments later, at Belle's signal, Eric held his wrist over the bowl and made the cut. The microbe went into the container with a few drops of blood.

"It's out now. Can you detect it?" Belle asked the group.

"I could feel it when I was in your mind," Destiny said, "But I can't feel it now."

"Anyone else?" They all shook their heads. Belle focused her energy on the blood in the bowl and the microbe was reduced to its basic components.

"Why are you so concerned with someone else detecting the microbe, when we have you?" asked Nicolae.

"What if something happened to me? Even with the protection you all provide, something could happen. People die all the time."

"Yes, but you are Carpathian. You are immortal."

"I'm immortal until someone kills me." She looked around at them. "Look, I don't anticipate anything happening, but it makes me uncomfortable to be the only one who can do a particular job."

"Our population is too small and it is not unusual to have only one person with a particular talent. We will all protect you. As you said, things happen, but you cannot go through your life afraid. You do your best and live your life."

"With so many of our people working on the problem," Destiny said, "It's only a matter of time before they find the answers we need."

"I guess you're right. I do tend to worry."

"Have you been having visions, Belle?" Destiny asked.

"Not lately, but I feel odd, as though something is coming. I can't tell if it's good or bad."

Belle and her two companions took their leave and flew to their next appointment. She repeated the procedure and found microbes in the soil where Diedre and Tienn rested. They both gave her blood when she was finished. This time, Diedre had the microbe and Tienn was clean.

Nicolae and Destiny escorted her home and departed when she went inside. She sighed as she watched them leave through a window. As much as she appreciated the safety of being escorted, it was becoming tedious. There always seemed to be someone around when she wanted to go somewhere but she felt she was imposing on these people. Just once, she wished she could wander in the forest and enjoy the night completely alone.

**A/N: **I have been a little slow with this one, sorry about that. I make no promises about how often I'll update, but I will try to do it weekly.


	4. Chapter 4

The usual disclaimers apply. Any mistakes are my own. I really do edit and proof-read, but sometimes I miss things.

*******

Heart of the Dragon

Chapter 4, Tragedy

Belle reached out with her mind to speak to Deborah but withdrew when she sensed her with Blaine in their upstairs bedroom. Samantha was reading in her room. Belle briefly thought about asking her to go along, but she wanted to be alone with her thoughts for a while.

She wanted to walk in the woods near the house. It shouldn't be dangerous in the forest with so many Carpathians around and she had no intention of going far. She was hardly a fledgling and had learned fighting techniques from Blaine and Deborah and had even had to deal with evil humans and a vampire back in Seattle. She could also shape-shift and fly, so she could escape if necessary. Of course, the vampire in Seattle nearly killed her. Also, if she were honest with herself, the humans could have killed her if they had done it before she was able to push most of their drugs from her system. In any case, she usually couldn't go more that a few feet without someone turning up to protect her.

She went into the kitchen for a basket for gathering herbs, went out the back door and stood on the steps checking for anything that would indicate she was not alone. There was no sense of hostility or danger anywhere and no blank spots. In the distance wolves howled and she was sure one of those wolves was a Carpathian, probably Dimitri. The night creatures provided their own song of squeaks, growls, chirps, and hoots, along with the various insect sounds. If there was any danger, the night would be silent.

At first, Belle checked the herbs near the house, some natural, and some she had planted. They were all growing nicely, but most of them were too small to harvest. She would find most of what she wanted in the forest. Many herbs were burned to provide a fragrant smoke for the various rituals. Some of these and more were used to make teas and use for seasonings. Even though Carpathians did not eat, their human friends and family members did. Belle often took herbs to Slavica at the inn for use in food preparation.

Belle wandered through the forest, picking leaves and flowers and digging roots. She was so focused on her work that she almost forgot to be aware her surroundings. The sound of wings flapping alerted her to the presence of another Carpathian. The mind signature told her it was Gregori before he shifted and landed in front of her.

"You should not be out here alone, little sister." His voice was soft and melodious, but she read the censure in his statement.

"I am never alone, Gregori." She pulled a stray strand of hair from her face as he landed in front of her in his human form. "There is always someone around watching my every move."

"You know there is danger to our women and children."

"I know, and I am grateful to all of you." She wanted to say more, but felt her concerns were petty.

"Speak, Belle. Tell me what troubles you."

"It's just that sometimes I think my only value is for what I can do." She held up her hand to stall his response. "I know that it's not true. I have people who love me and I love them."

"But?"

"But. I feel there is something missing in my life. I'm edgy and nervous. I feel something big is coming and it is frightening. It's good or bad or both. I haven't had any visions, just dreams that I cannot remember."

"When are you planning to take your soul journey?"

"I wanted to wait until we were sure Deborah and Blaine's baby would survive."

"She seems to be doing well. It is the first time in centuries one of our children has been able to feed from her mother and go to ground with her parents."

"Yes, she is. I think we will have her naming ceremony soon. And,I think I'd like to take my journey next rising. I am hoping it will give me the answers I need, and maybe give me some direction."

"We will help you on your journey. Francesca will be there and Mikhail and I will help you. If what you experience affects our people, we need to know about it."

"Thank you, Gregori. I wish Blaine and Deborah could go too, but they need to take care of Selene."

"Selene is the baby's name, then?" Belle nodded. "That is a beautiful name. If you are finished with your work, I will walk with you back to the house."

Belle smiled in resignation. "Of course, Gregori, I welcome your company. Then you can get back to your wife and daughters. So how are you enjoying being a father?"

The chatted back and forth about family and responsibility until they came to the back steps of the house. Gregori waited until Belle was inside and, after a quick message to Blaine, shifted into his owl form and departed.

She cleaned her harvest and prepared everything for drying. Herbs and roots that had finished drying were packaged for storage. She was nearly finished with her work when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. Samantha grinned at her startle expression.

"I thought you needed a hug," Samantha said.

Belle returned the hug. "I did, sweetheart. Thank you."

"I know you have been bothered by something and I wish I could help you. I can feel it you know."

"It isn't anything I can really talk about, but I appreciate your concern. You've had your own issues to deal with." Belle remembered the sight of Samantha unconscious on the floor of a Morrison laboratory, her friend, Justin, weeping over her.

"Yeah, it was bad, but it's over now." Samantha shrugged and smiled. "I've moved on. I won't let what happened control my life."

"You are so mature for one so young, Samantha." Belle gave her another tight hug as Blaine came into the kitchen, a scowl on his face.

"I'm going to see if Tamara is online." She left the kitchen to return to her room.

"What have you been up to, little sister?" His voice was stern and looked down at her like a father about to chastise an errant child.

"I picked herbs near the house. That's all." Belle her back stiffen and it annoyed her that she felt defensive.

"Relax, dear one, I knew where you were and that you were safe." He put an arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "The Dark One dared to suggest I am not taking care of my family. I reminded him that I am his elder by centuries and do not need his advice." He laughed then and she joined him.

"I know I need to be careful, Blaine, and I am. I'm not a fledgling. I've learned a lot about protection from you and Manolito, and Deborah, too."

"Yes, but our children do not reach their full strength until they are two hundred years old." He held up a hand to stop her retort. "I know, you were not born Carpathian. You probably are at full strength. You have been tested in battle."

"Well, actually in that battle, I got the worst of it. If you and the others hadn't arrived when you did, I would have been dead or worse."

"_You were very brave, Belle, you just never had to fight a vampire before."_ Deborah was still in the bedroom, nursing Selene.

"_You did the fighting and killing of vampires before we met Blaine."_

"_They are horrible creatures. I wanted to protect you from them."_ Belle was suddenly wrapped in warmth from Deborah, her sister of the heart.

"The thought of either of you fighting vampires gives me cold chills." Blaine shuddered. "If there is any vampire fighting to be done, you two will not be in the middle of it. I don't think my heart could bear it." He was proud of Deborah's ability to kill the vampires from a distance, but they did not always stay at a distance. The memory of Deborah being clawed and bitten by the undead still haunted him.

"_I promise I will not fight vampires, beloved, unless they attack our home and my family. Then there will be charred vampire stench everywhere." _

Belle laughed. "I promise too, Blaine. I have no desire to fight vampires. Since dawn is in a couple of hours, I'm going to check our sleeping soil."

"You don't need to do that every morning, Belle. The extremophiles do not get back in that quickly."

"I can't help it. I need to keep my family safe, too. This is how I do it." She gave him a sisterly punch to the arm as she moved to the door leading down into the sleeping chamber.

It did not take long to check the soil. Just as Blaine said, the organism would not contaminate it so quickly. However, Belle believed in the old adage that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". She had more confidence in cleansing the soil of others if the she kept her family's soil clean.

A sense of unease invaded her just before she heard Blaine's call. She flew up to the living area to see him on the front porch with a Carpathian male she had not seen before.

Something about this male made her blood run cold. It wasn't that he was vampire; she could tell immediately that he was not. It was that she realized this man was the reason for the unease she had felt for days.

She walked out onto the porch, dreading what she was about to see. Blaine sensed her fear.

"_What is it, Belle?_

"_This is not going to go well."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_There is something wrong. He is the source of what I have been feeling for several day."_

"_He is not vampire, unless he is hiding it well."_

"_No, he is not vampire. I have to read him, but I don't want to."_

"This is Guillermo, Belle. He hopes you will lead him to his lifemate."

It was then Belle knew what she would see. She felt Blaine, Gregori and Mikhail in her mind, alerted by her distress. As if she were in a nightmare, she reached out to take the hunter's hands.

The vision that struck her was also seen by the hunter. A young woman driving a car, was hit broadside by a tractor-trailer. Belle felt her die, and so did the hunter, in a traffic accident, happening just at that moment. The strands that drew lifemates together shriveled and blackened as she watched. She dropped his hands, watching his face as he withdrew into himself. Grief flooded through her like the raging tide at the edge of a hurricane. She backed up, sobbing.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She collapsed to her knees unable to control her tears. Hands on her arms picked her up and half-carried her into the house. Deborah and Samantha held her to them, but she could not find solace. Why couldn't she have seen a clear vision so this woman could be saved? Why did they have to lose a pair who should have been bonded? Why did her gift fail her when she needed it? Why?

Belle was so wrapped in her grief she was unaware of the activity outside the house. She did not feel the hunter's decision to meet the dawn rather than turn vampire but the rest of the Carpathian community did. They sent comfort to Belle, comfort she could not feel, would not accept, did not deserve. She had failed.

The Carpathian males were with Guillermo in his mind when he burned to death in the sun and his soul was set free. It was a fate the mated ones had escaped and the unmated ones might yet face. They blocked it from the women, but Belle knew, and she was inconsolable.

It was midday before the combined strength of the Carpathian men and women who loved Belle were able to get her to succumb to the deep sleep of their people. Deborah and Blaine were weakened by the lethargy of their kind, but they laid Belle into it the opened soil and covered her before going to their own rest.

***********

The great dragon was awakened by such grief as he had never known. He reached out to find the source of this sorrow and touched the mind of a female in torment. His great heart ached with the strength of her pain and he sent a single command, _"Sleep, and be at peace."_


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: The usual disclaimers apply.

Heart of the Dragon

Chapter 5, Journey

The dragon was again awakened by sorrow, not as acute this time, but disturbing nonetheless. Again he reached out, determined to find the cause of this grief. He entered the female's mind easily and without her knowledge, following the same path. Her mind was unusually open to him. Before he could examine her thoughts, he sensed other males nearby and a sudden dark rage rose in him. His first inclination was to strike them down, yet there was no sense of ownership or lust from these males. The dragon forced his anger back down and examined those around the female.

The males appeared to be guardians, their attitudes protective. Other females were there, a Carpathian and a young human, along with a female infant. All of them were attempting to comfort the female, but the strength of the child was amazing. He added his own great strength to that of the child and felt the woman's grief lessen, her pain abate.

Something about this female drew him, intrigued him. Nothing had intrigued him in more centuries than he cared to count. It was time to end his rest and rise. He would wait through this night and day, then burst forth from his resting place and find her.

************

Belle rose from her place in the soil filled with grief and self-loathing. She knew she had stayed in the soil for several days, unable to overcome her despair. There was a faint memory of being awakened several times and a bloody wrist held to her mouth.

She had been so glad to be able to help these people, her people, before it all came crashing down. Pride in her ability had been replaced with shame. She had failed and the Carpathians lost a pair of lifemates. It was all her fault.

She knew Mikhail and Gregori were in the living room with her family. The thought of facing them filled her with dread. They could not possibly want her with them anymore after such a tragic failure. She cleaned and clothed herself and reluctantly floated up to the living area.

The men stood as Belle walked into the room, her head down, unable to look in their eyes, not wanting to see the censure that was surely evident. A soft touch on her shoulder made her look up. Mikhail's gaze was gentle and caring.

"Do not blame yourself." His kind words were more painful than harsh words would have been, and her eyes filled with tears.

"I should have seen it." She could hardly get the words out. "I'm so sorry."

The others gathered around her, offering comfort. Samantha and Deborah each put an arm around her. At first she resisted, then felt soothing energy from a surprising source. She reached out to touch baby Selene, held in her mother's arms, and was filled with such peace, she gasped.

Mikhail touched the child's head and closed his eyes. He opened them and looked at her parents. "Your child is already showing one of her gifts. She will be powerful when she matures."

Blaine extended his wrist to Belle. "I have fed well this rising. Please take what I offer, Sister, so that you might be at full strength." Seeing the pure, unconditional love in his and Deborah's eyes, she complied. She took enough to build her strength and closed the tiny pinpricks.

"I would like to take my soul journey tonight." She looked at the men with determination.

"We thought you might," said Gregori, "We are ready to go with you."

Francesca had the healing cave prepared with candles, herbs, stones for healing and glowing coals in a brazier for burning fragrant herbs.

Belle sat cross-legged on the soft, rich soil, with Gregori and Mikhail beside her. Other Carpathians entered the cave to lend their strength to the task. The Prince and his Second would help Belle begin her journey and make sure she returned safely. If they could find the threads that led lifemates to each other, the two men would make sure the information was sent to every Carpathian male in every part of the world.

Belle pushed her surroundings from her mind and, following Gregori's lead, sought the entrance to the spirit world. She would not be looking for parasites this time, but would go up into the great tree to check the branch for each male and follow the faint threads that reached for a lifemate.

They found themselves on a large branch. Smaller branches led off in different directions. Two of them twined around each other and had a tiny, thin twig sprouting between them. This was Deborah and Blaine with their daughter. One very thin filament of thread reached out, waving in space. Belle looked in the direction the thread was pointing to see a larger thread reaching out to it. Belle followed the larger thread to its branch and saw a face in her mind. It was Cedric. Baby Selene was Cedric's lifemate. Cedric, who had so much darkness in him.

Belle's two companions sensed her worry about Cedric. They had also seen the darkness in him. Yet his thread was strong and vibrant as it reached out for the tiny one. Joy for the male was tempered by concern. Could he hold off the darkness until she grew up? Gregori had done so, but he was a law unto himself and few Carpathians had his strength and skills. Mikhail and Gregori were determined that Cedric survive and pledged themselves to making it happen.

Belle turned to see her own branch and its thread winding around through the leaves, but she could not see where it led. She turned back toward the trunk of the tree and saw a small lizard waiting for her. This then was her guide.

As she and her companions approached the great trunk, she noticed another branch near hers. Tariq Asenguard's face appeared in her mind. No one had heard from him in months but his branch was healthy and strong, so he was alive and well. The thread was long and grew faint as they approached its end and it led straight to…..Belle's branch. But that was impossible. Belle had held his hands and looked into his eyes. He had been in her mind but the lifemate bond had not been triggered. She was still sure he needed to go East and South from Seattle to look for his other half. On closer inspection, the threads were not joined but were entwined. There were other threads there, a large strong one whose end she could not see and others so faint she could hardly detect them.

They approached the great trunk where the lizard patiently waited. One by one they checked the branches, following silvery threads. Some of them belonged to mated Carpathians. These wound around each other until it was impossible to tell where one began and the other ended.

They concentrated on the branches of unmated males. Each thread was followed until Belle could see the thread of the woman who was to be lifemate to that male. The general location of the female was noted in Gregori's and Mikhail's minds. In some cases the thread led to that of another Carpathian male or the thread of his lifemate-to-be. These pairs would produce daughters to become lifemates to other males, if the males could hold out long enough.

Some branches were withered and blackened, their threads missing. These were the souls of Carpathians who had given up to become vampire. Others were broken off, indicating that the Carpathian had died.

Belle felt exhaustion creeping up on her. They had done all they could and now Mikhail could tell his warriors where to look for their lifemates. More of them would have hope.

They turned toward the entry portal to leave. The lizard drew Belle's gaze and she found herself sliding down a long, dark tunnel. Mikhail and Gregori were still with her in her mind, sending her calm when her insides clenched with fear.

She found herself standing in a meadow with Mikhail and Gregori standing beside her. The lizard looked at her expectantly then turned to scoot up a path toward a forest. They followed. Everything had a dream-like quality. Colors were watery, and almost too bright.

"This is the between place, Belle," Gregori said, "This is where the dead rest before going on to the next world."

"Why are we here?"

"We don't know," Mikhail said as they walked along, "This is your journey, we are just here to give you strength and learn about potential lifemates." He indicated the lizard. "Your guide has something you must see or you would not have been drawn here."

The walk across the meadow seemed to take hours and at the same time seemed only a moment. At the edge of the forest, two figures walked along the path toward them. As they approached, Belle recognized Guillermo. With him was a young woman. It was the woman in her vision, the woman who would have been his lifemate.

"Belle, I am so glad to meet you," the woman said, "My name is Maria."

Guillermo held her hand and looked upon her with love. "We could not be together in life, Belle, but we are together now. I thank you." He bowed to her.

"But I didn't see her in time. I'm so sorry." Belle wanted to weep, but the joy in their eyes held back her tears.

"We are together," he said. "Perhaps we will be born into the Carpathian people in the future. If we are, we will find each other as we have found each other now, with your help."

"How did you find each other?"

"When my body died and my spirit was free, I was drawn to hers. I had seen her face in your vision and I called to her."

"I knew he was meant for me." Maria said. "Don't be sad. We are together and we are happy. We waited here to let you know so you wouldn't continue to grieve."

Guillermo turned to Mikhail and Gregori and bowed. They returned the bow. He turned with his lifemate and walked into the forest, their images becoming brighter and brighter until, with a flash, they were gone. Belle felt as if a great weight had been lifted from her soul.

They were suddenly pulled upward out of the underworld. Gregori began leading them up to the surface but their way was blocked. In front of them was a huge, sleeping dragon. Belle walked toward it, unable to stop herself. She reached out to touch the great scaled head. The eye nearest her opened, a huge green orb with swirls of blue in its depths. The dragon suddenly morphed into the form of a man with thick, tawny hair down to his waist. He was very tall and muscular and had those same blue-green eyes, eyes that looked through to her soul. Belle thought he was absolutely beautiful.

In an instant the dragon/man was gone and they found themselves back in their bodies. They were surrounded by Carpathians offering them blood as they swayed with weariness. The calming cadence of the healing chant echoed through the chamber.

Outside the cave, unmated males waited. Mikhail quickly sent them images of the lifemates awaiting them along with their approximate locations. The men would depart immediately to look for these women who held the other half of their souls. Some of them would have to wait until the chosen one matured, but the knowledge that such a one existed would help them through the dark years.

Blaine carried Belle back to their home. Deborah opened the soil so he could place her within it. Even in her desperate weariness, Belle felt a lightness of spirit she thought she would never feel again. As she slowed and stopped her heart and lungs her last thought was of a tall man with long, tawny hair and swirling blue-green eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

The usual disclaimers apply.

Chapter 6, Naming

_The great dragon soared and swooped, his lungs sending a long tongue of flame to engulf the vampire. The creature screamed and fell, reforming into a parody of a man. Before it could hit the ground it reshaped into another dragon, a weak, pathetic copy of the one who wounded it. The great one formed a spear of flame and flung it at his foe. The creature dodged so that the fiery spear went through a wing instead of the heart. It quickly created its own spears of fire and sent them at the Hunter. The Hunter called a lightning bolt from behind the vampire even as he dodged the thing's spears. The lightning shot through the vampire's heart, destroying it. The creature screamed as it fell the long distance to the ground._

_The Hunter followed the vampire as he fell and shifted into the form of a man before alighting beside the body. He was so focused in destroying the creature's remains he did not sense the danger behind him until it was too late. The fire spear caught him in the shoulder as he shifted once again into the dragon. The pain was immense and unrelenting. _

_He turned in mid-air to see an ancient vampire grinning at him. _

"_Tiberius, I had thought you long dead." The Hunter pushed his pain down into a small pocket of his mind. It would not do to be distracted by it, not with a vampire of this caliber._

"_As you see, I am not. I see you had no trouble destroying my companion. I think you will find I am not so easy."_

Belle woke suddenly, her heart pounding, remnants of the dream still vivid. This was the first time she actually remembered the dream. It had been the same one each time, but each time there was more of it. The man in the dream was the one she had seen on her Journey with Mikhail and Gregori. She had been too tired to talk to them about it after the Journey, but she would tonight after the naming ceremony.

They gathered in the cavern. Blaine with his daughter in his arms, Deborah, Samantha and Belle, along with every Carpathian in the area stood waiting. Blaine placed the child in Mikhail's arms. He raised her up so everyone could see her. The assembled Carpathians cheered.

"Who names this child?"

"Her father."

"Her mother." They smiled at each other.

"Her people," the others all said at once.

"You shall be called Selene Rosalind Robineau, conceived and born in love. Who will accept the offer of the Carpathian people to love and raise and protect our daughter?"

"Her parents, with gratitude."

"Her Aunt," said Belle.

"Her sister," Samantha chimed in.

Another cheer went up from the assembly. Mikhail handed the baby into her mother's arms. The others gathered around to congratulate the family and admire the little girl.

One by one, the Carpathians paid homage to them and departed until one was left.

Cedric looked at the child for a long time, his face unreadable.

"You have a fine family. Who is she named for?" He looked directly at Deborah, an unusual act for an unmated male.

"We decided to name her after our mothers. My mother was Selene and Blaine's mother was Rosalind." Deborah knew Belle had seen this man as her daughter's lifemate, but she would not be eligible or subjected to the attention of any of the males until her eighteenth birthday. Deborah thought that was much too young, though she had been married at nineteen. She did not want her daughter pushed into anything, yet she could see the darkness in this man.

"I remember Blaine's mother, she was a kind and beautiful woman. Congratulations on having a healthy child. She is truly a gift to our people," Cedric said. He bowed to her and turned to leave.

At the cave entrance, he was stopped by Mikhail.

"You must hold on, Cedric. If you give in to the darkness, you condemn that little girl to a life of emptiness."

"I have hope now, Mikhail. I will endure. I will go to ground until she is of age if I must, but I will endure. Keep her safe for me." With a deep nod to his prince, Cedric left the cavern.

"_Blaine,"_ Mihail sent on a private channel.

"_Yes, Mikhail?"_

"_I trust Belle told you what she discovered on her Journey?"_

"_Yes, Mikhail, but Deborah is uneasy with the idea of fated lifemates, though she is happy with me. She does not truly understand there is no other choice for our daughter."_

"_Perhaps it is best if she does not entirely understand. I kept the knowledge from Raven."_

"_Gregori knew Savannah was his life mate as a child?"_

"_He knew before she was born. Yet he gave her five years of freedom rather than claim her on her eighteenth birthday. He nearly waited too long and we came close to losing him."_ Mikhail did not need to say that Gregori would most likely have become a deadly and nearly unstoppable vampire.

Blaine was silent for a moment. _"I find, as a father, that I dislike the prospect of handing my daughter over to any man."_

Mikhail's amusement came across clearly. _"I felt the same way, Blaine, but we cannot prevent it. Look how protective Gabriel is of Skyler, yet he knows Dimitri is her lifemate. He will soon be able to claim her and his torment will end. Gabriel will have to let her go."_

"_I am glad I do not have to think of this right now. I will simply enjoy my daughter and protect her."_

"_I have another question for you."_ He showed Blaine the image of the dragon and the man they had seen before exiting the otherworld. _"Do you recall ever seeing a Carpathian such as this?"_

"_No, I do not. He has the look of the Dragonseeker about him."_

"_I agree. He bears a resemblance to Dominic. I feel he is important to Belle."_

"_How is he important to Belle?"_

"_The journey was hers. We were with her to observe the lifemate threads; anything else that happened along the way is significant only to her."_

"_Interesting. I was away from the mountains a long time. Perhaps Lucian or Gabriel would know more of the Dragonseekers. I only know there were few of them left."_

When the rest of her family left to return home, Belle lingered outside the cavern. Blaine had shared his conversation with Mikhail about the dragon. Lucian and Jaxon walked up to her.

"Mikhail has told me some of the details of your journey, little sister," he said, "I believe you have questions."

"I wondered if you remembered any of the Dragonseekers," Belle said, "I've been dreaming of this man as well. This rising was the first time I remembered any details."

"What was happening in this dream?"

"He was fighting a vampire and won. As he was destroying the vampire, he was attacked from behind by another vampire. I got the impression this one was very powerful. He called the vampire Tiberius."

"Tiberius." Lucian thought for a few moments, looking through his memories. "There was once a great Carpathian by that name. He was a legendary fighter and at least a thousand years old before he turned. He killed Dominic and Rhiannon's father. Of course, their mother followed her lifemate into the next world. Dominic had an uncle, his father's brother, who went after Tiberius. No one ever heard from him again. I am sorry I don't know anything more. Gabriel and I were children at the time. "

"Do you remember the uncle's name?"

"I believe it was Ramius. He looked much like this man in your vision but, as I said, we were children at the time."

"Thank you for your time Lucian. Jaxon, it is always good to see you."

They exchanged pleasantries a few minutes longer and parted company.

Belle shifted to mist and headed toward home. As always, there were other Carpathians nearby to make sure she arrived safely. Blaine and Deborah waited for her inside. She quickly related all that Lucian had told her.

"I don't know the significance of this, but I know it's important, both the Hunter called Ramius and the vampire, Tiberius."

"Could they still be alive after all this time?" Deborah asked.

"It is possible," Blaine said, "So many of us were sent out centuries ago by Mikhail's father. Ramius and Tiberius were gone long before then. They would be at least three thousand years old if they still live."

"I think I will meditate on this a while. Maybe I can get an inkling of what the vision and the dreams mean."

Belle walked outside to lean on the deck railing. For a few minutes she looked up at the stars and cast her awareness into her surroundings. There was no sense of danger or disturbance, just the hum of life.

She moved to sit in one of the chairs with an ottoman in front of it. She propped her feet on the ottoman and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Starting with her feet, she relaxed her body inch by inch until she felt nearly boneless. She pushed everything out of her mind and opened herself up to receive what ever the universe had to tell her.

At first there was nothing, just blankness and silence. Suddenly she was swamped with sights and sounds of fighting. Her nose was assailed by the scent of blood and screams resounded in her ears. She saw Samantha on the ground, her throat torn out; sightless eyes open to the sky. A foul creature tore Selene from her mother's arms as Deborah screamed in rage and fear. Blaine died as his heart was torn out by another vampire.

Hands clutched at Belle, shaking her. She fought but was held in an iron grip. A voice called her name over and over.

"Belle! Please come back to us. Belle!" She was finally able to focus on Deborah's terrified face. The arms that held her were Blaine's. Her throat was raw from screaming. As soon as she realized she and they were safe, she collapsed into Blaine's arms. Deborah put her arms around Belle too until she was able to stand on her own. They helped her back into the chair.

"Belle, please tell us what happened. Your mind was cut off from us and you started screaming."

"I had a vision and it was bad." She told them what she had seen, then opened her mind to share the details. They were both pale and shaken by what they saw in Belle's mind.

"I know your visions are true seeings, Belle, can you tell when this is to occur?" Blaine asked.

"I think it will be soon. I think I was given this vision so it can be prevented. I think they were after Selene and Deborah."

None of them spoke. They went into the house and Blaine reinforced the safeguards. He also sent a private message to Mikhail to inform him of Belle's vision. He stayed by his lifemate and daughter, afraid to leave them for even a second, afraid for Samantha.

Near dawn, Belle went to ground, frightened to her very soul.

A/N: I have the next chapter started, but I don't know if I will get it finished before the end of the week. If not, it may be three weeks before I get anything else posted. Thank you all for reading.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I am still on vacation. I got this chapter finished and decided to post it at the internet café. I hope you all enjoy it.

Chapter 7, Dragon Rising

Deep in the earth, in a cavern lit only by faint phosphorescence, the earth began to bulge. The bulge rose gradually at first then exploded upward and outward. A huge claw reached up, then another, and a giant form pulled itself from the earth to rest on the surface.

The dragon lay panting; taking air into lungs that had been still for centuries. Its normally iridescent scales were dulled by its long confinement and deprivation. It rested for a few minutes before its form shimmered into that of a man. His skin was nearly gray and pulled tight over his bones. His long, tawny hair was streaked with dirt he did not have the energy to remove. Hunger raged through him and his eyes glowed red.

He sent his awareness out to check for danger first then prey. Near his resting place, hearts beat, pumping life's blood through veins. It took most of his remaining strength to shift again, this time into a bat. He launched himself upward to fly through chambers and tunnels, rising toward the opening that must still be there, even after all these years.

The bat flew through an opening that was little more than a crack. He would not be able to shift again without feeding. He began his search for hot blood, his hunger all consuming. The lights of a city beckoned him, but he sought first for an animal.

On the outskirts of the city, he found a farm with animals in a pasture. He settled on the neck of a horse, sending his mind into that of the animal to sooth it. He took just enough blood from that one and several others to sustain him until he found human prey. Changing into mist, he shot toward the city.

In all his life, he had not seen so many people living so closely. The cities he had known were hamlets compared to this. The thoughts of the people around him told him the city was Ploesti and was in the region of Wallachia, Romania. The air was filled with a stench he did not recognize, but seemed to clog his lungs. Along with the pervading stench were odors of sweat, fear, blood, all things he had smelled before, but intensified by his hunger and the teeming humanity.

He settled in a dark alley to shift into human form and fashioned clothing according to what he had seen other men wearing. He knew his appearance would be frightening to humans so he elected to stay hidden until he could call his prey to him.

Three young men laughed together as they walked down the street. One of them was to be married the next day and his friends were having one more night of fun with him. The Hunter smiled as he read their minds, his fangs lengthening. As he called them to him, the beast rose, demanding that he drain all of them. With tremendous effort, he forced the beast back down. One by one he took blood from them, just enough to begin the restoration of his cells, not enough to weaken the men. He sent them back out into the street before releasing them from their thrall. He repeated this procedure several times until he felt at full strength. The red glow receded in his eyes as he once more pushed away the desire to kill.

He realized he needed to learn more about his surroundings. It was obvious there had been many changes since he had gone to ground. From the minds around him, he picked up changes in language and custom, and the location of the nearest library.

He entered the library through the tiny crack under the door and floated through the reception area and past the receptionist's desk. He was amazed at the quantity of books on display. As he fed on the humans, he had explored their minds, soaking up modern language, spoken and written. Starting in the history section he searched for books about the region and read and read. His brain was like a sponge, soaking up knowledge as quickly as he could.

For many nights he searched through the library, leaving only to feed and sleep. After reading all he could about the history of his region, he studied the history of the world. He was appalled at the continuing human tendency to slaughter each other in new and more efficient ways.

Next he studied books on technology and other sciences, glancing over most of it, taking in enough to understand the wonders he had seen in the city. He learned that the pervading odor he noticed on his first rising was petroleum, the life blood of modern society.

In all the books he read there was little about his people, the Karpatii, which surprised him. The accounts of the Turk wars when whole villages were slaughtered in this region were chilling. There were legends about vampires and other creatures, but nothing that showed his people as separate from the undead. He knew they still existed; he had been in the mind of a woman and knew of the men who were in her company. He had dreamed of her standing with two men beside her.

She had long, red hair and vivid green eyes. Colors were barely a memory to him and he wondered why he would see them in a dream. It was unusual for him to dream. That his slumber had been disturbed by this woman was a mystery for him to solve. Still, he had felt her distress and been compelled to help her.

Compelled. This was a word that had not applied to him since he grew to adulthood and into his full power. No one compelled him.

He sent his awareness out to find this woman. It shouldn't be hard since he had been in her mind already. He found her quickly and followed her mind into the soil where she searched out an organism and killed it. How interesting. His woman was a healer of the soil¸ a rare and valuable gift.

His woman? That thought surprised him. Every male of his species hoped to find the one woman who would complete him; who would save his soul. Could this woman truly be his? His mind reached for her again.

Her mind was focused on her task and did not sense his intrusion. He studied her as she worked, examining her memories, her life. She was compassionate and loving and dedicated to helping her people. He detected something else there; fear. What was she afraid of? He felt a sense of unease and a strong desire to get to her.

********

Belle continued making her rounds of the homes of pregnant women. Most of them were still clean of the deadly organism, but she found two in the sleeping soil. As always she was accompanied by a pair of Carpathians, this time Natalya and Vikirnoff.

"How are your aunts, Natalya?"

"They are still weak but are recovering. It may take along time before they are at full strength."

"Unmated males come around frequently, hoping for a glimpse of them." Vikirnoff grumbled. The women looked at each other and smiled.

"And you of course would never do something like that if you were still single?" Natalya punched in the arm. He grabbed her hand and brought it to his mouth to kiss.

"I am a perfect gentleman." Both women laughed.

"Of course you are, Vikirnoff. I'm sorry that I did not see the threads of all the males and I did not search out the threads of your aunts, Natalya. I just ran out steam."

Natalya shrugged. "They will meet lifemates when the time is right. They deserve some freedom and time to learn about the world and develop their own abilties."

They walked together along a path in the forest. Vikirnoff looked at Belle sidelong.

"Have you dreamed anymore about this mysterious dragon?"

"Yes, actually. Each time, there is more detail revealed to me, as if I am seeing a story unfold. He was in a terrible battle with a powerful vampire. He was badly wounded and may, or may not, have killed his opponent. I only know he buried himself deep in a cavern in these mountains. I wish I knew why I am having the dreams."

"Maybe it's just a dream," Natalya said.

"Carpathians do not just dream. There is always a reason," he said. He turned to Belle, "How about the vision. Have you seen anymore about the attack?"

"Each time I have the vision, it's a little different. The attack is the same, but sometimes there are other Carpathians there. It's always terrifying. Deborah has been practicing her skills at burning things at a distance." Vikirnoff looked at her questioningly. "That's how she killed vampires. She burned their hearts out at a distance."

"That's a useful skill," said Natalya, "I'd like to work on that one." Vikirnoff gave her a warning look. "What? It's better than a flame thrower and you don't have to make a lightning sword." Vikirnoff said nothing. Belle giggled. "Though, I admit, lightning swords are fun," Natalya added.

Belle decided to change the subject. "Have you heard from Lara? How does she like Brazil?"

"She loves Colby, Maryann, and Juliette. Their lifemates are just as bossy and domineering as Nicholas. Their brother, Zacharias, is the worst. He needs a lifemate to settle him down. She really misses the aunts."

"If I ever have a lifemate, I hope he's not like them. It's bad enough having Blaine nagging at me, but at least he has Deborah and Selene to keep him occupied."

Vikirnoff laughed. "I'm sure your lifemate will be the perfect match for you, little sister. He will be your other half, after all, just as you are his."

"Well, I'm in no hurry to meet him," Belle said, with conviction.

Some time later, Belle relaxed in the hot water of one of the pools in a cave of hot springs. The heat felt wonderful as it soaked, into her bones. Several other women were with her in the pool. Savannah and Raven sat nearby children. Sara played with her little girls. Samantha sat holding one of Savannah's twins. Deborah was beside her holding Selene.

"The men are having a meeting they didn't want to discuss with us," said Raven, cuddling her small son.

"Gregori has shut me out," said Savannah, "They are worried about something and don't want us to know about it." Samantha was with her to care for her twin daughters.

"That's why they wanted us all together here," said Deborah, "If we are all together, they believe we will be easier to defend." She held Selene high on her shoulder after nursing her. "Belle's vision has everyone spooked. It appears the attackers were after Selene. It may be that all our female children will be targeted."

That thought gave everyone chills.

"This is true," said Savannah, "Gregori and my father are worse than usual and they are always protective."

"All of them are," said Belle.

"That is their nature," said Raven, "They are afraid of losing one of us and, if one of them is killed, his lifemate will follow him. It would be a double tragedy."

"Does it ever get any better? Will we always be in danger?" It was Samantha who spoke up. "I have a little psychic ability. I've noticed the unmated males looking at me. I'm actually glad I'm still too young to be bothered. But I feel this pervading unease. I don't know if it's because of Belle's vision or if I am sensing something myself."

Bronislava sat in the water next to her sister, Tatijana. Both women were very thin and frail, but they were looking much better than when they were found in the ice cave. Their Carpathian beauty was becoming more evident.

"You are all so fortunate to have so many caring for your health and safety," said Bronislava, "My sister and I had no one to love us after our mother was murdered. Our lives were filled with hardship and torture until we were found and rescued. The men are right to be protective. If this new threat is from Xavier or someone else, we will all meet it. Carpathian men are powerful and we have our own power. My sister and I will use everything we learned in captivity and from our mother to help. And we are learning more from Natalya, Destiny, and Jaxxon about fighting, even though we are weak. We are so glad to be among you at last and doing positive things for our people."

Her voice was weak and thready by the time she finished speaking and she had tears in her eyes. Tatijana reached for her hand on one side and Natalya wrapped an arm around her and kissed her cheek.

The adults sat in silence for a time, listening to the babies cooing and Sara's girls playing.

"_Belle, I need to speak to you. I will meet you at the entrance to the cave."_ It was Blaine's voice in her mind. She noticed Deborah's alertness and that the other women had been alerted as well. She and Deborah looked at each other and shrugged.

Belle rose from the pool and quickly dried and clothed herself. She wore a ballet style top with long sleeves and a vee neck and a long soft skirt that swirled around her ankles. Her long red hair hung in a single braid down her back. A pair of sandals completed her ensemble.

At the entrance, the women joined their lifemates. Gregori took his daughter from Samantha, thanking her for helping Savannah. Blaine took his Selene into his arms and kissed the top of her tiny head. He put his arm around Deborah.

"Belle, I'd like you to come with me to meet with Mikhail. There is something he would like to discuss with you. We will see Deborah, Samantha and Selene safely home and I will escort you." He gave his daughter another kiss.

With his family at home, Blaine reinforced the safeguards around his house. He and Belle shifted to mist and shot across the sky to the warriors cave. Belle had never been to this cave though, since she was not a warrior, there was no need. At the entrance to the cave several men stood.

Blaine and Belle shifted into human form and walked to Mikhail.

"Belle, thank you for coming. There is someone I would like you to meet."

Just then a man walked out of the cave. Belle was stunned. It was the man from her dreams, tall and handsome with long tawny hair. Light streaks moved through his hair as she looked at him. He walked to her and took her hand. When he kissed the back of it, she thought fire was streaking up her arm.

"Belle Foster," he said in a voice that thrummed to her soul, "I am Ramius of the Dragonseekers."


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Don't faint, it really is another chapter. I'm on vacation in a family cabin in the mountains and it is raining. The usual disclaimers apply. This universe and most of its characters belong exclusively to Christine Feehan, I'm just playing with them a little while. I have edited and corrected all the errors I could find, so if I missed any of them I apologize.

Chapter 8, Ramius

Mikhail felt the disturbance around him. Gregori was by his side as always and leaped in front of him as the strange owl glided overhead. The bird was huge and, though its form was a familiar species, they both knew it was a stranger. They could feel the power pouring from it. They waited patiently as the owl landed in front of them.

The bird transformed into a tall man, slender with muscular shoulders. He had tawny hair that fell nearly to his waist. His eyes seemed to swirl green and blue.

"You have the look of the Dragonseeker, stranger," said Mikhail, stepping to Gregori's side, "How is it we do not know you? There are few left of your clan."

The man bowed.

"You are Vlad's son then. You were not in existence when I last saw your father." He looked at Gregori. "I see you have a Daratrazanoff as your second, just as your father did." He bowed again. "I am Ramius of the Dragonseekers."

"Some of the oldest of us know your name, Ramius. Even they thought you long dead."

"I have slept more than a thousand years, Prince."

"I am Mikhail. My companion is Gregori."

"I do not sense many of our people, Mikhail. There is little history of them in the books of the humans."

"I believe we have much to tell one another," Mikhail said, "Come with us to the Warrior's Cave and we will talk."

Mikhail sent a call to all the available men to meet them at the cave. Many of the women planned to meet at the hot springs. They would encourage all the women to go there and they would layer safeguards all around the cave to keep them safe.

Ramius' heart grew cold to hear what had happened to his people. Rage was followed by guilt. He should have been here to help instead of trailing an elusive vampire. He said as much to Mikhail.

"You were doing your duty to our people by tracking the undead. This was a powerful vampire correct?" Ramius nodded. "I would like to hear your story. How is it you have been unknown to us for so long?"

"Tiberius and I grew up together. We studied and trained together and we hunted the undead together. There were not so many of them back then. There were more of our people, more women. We probably had as many females conceived as we did males.

"The vampires who existed were old and powerful. They kept to themselves and stayed hidden. Any living creature was their prey, humans, Carpathians, animals. We killed them whenever we could find them.

"We had lived for half a millennium when Tiberius's family was killed by one of the undead. It slaughtered his mother and a small sister. His father went after it filled with grief and rage. He killed the creature then went to join his lifemate in the afterlife. Tiberius disappeared after that. Even though he had lost his emotions centuries before, the loss of his family was devastating.

"I did not see him again until he killed my brother. He was powerful and I fought him again and again. Neither of us could prevail against the other. I followed his path of destruction across the world, returning occasionally to check in with our prince, Vlad.

"One night centuries later, I killed a vampire. As I was destroying the remains, Tiberius came up behind me. I did not sense him, as he had learned to hide himself from the perception of our kind. We fought long and hard and were both badly wounded. We were too evenly matched for either of us to prevail.

"I was able to force him into the ground in the deepest cavern I could find. I wrapped his burial place in safeguards with the last of my strength and buried myself above him. I have slept more that a thousand years.

"I must return to my resting place and either reinforce the safeguards or bring him up from the ground and kill him. I was too weak to do any of this when I rose. I hope it is not too late. Tiberius is a very dangerous vampire."

"We need to prepare if this vampire becomes a threat to us," Mikhail said.

"He will most certainly be a threat if he rises. Also, I would like to pledge my allegiance to you as I did you father, my Prince."

The meeting went on into the night. Ramius pledged himself to Mikhail with his blood. The men discussed the ways they might protect their people, especially the female children. Lucian and Gabriel offered to return to the burial cave with Ramius. He accepted gratefully. He was not so arrogant that he could not appreciate help from two such powerful individuals.

When the meeting was finished, Ramius waited to ask one more question.

"Is there a female among you who has long red hair? She is so different from the women of our race."

Blaine spoke up. "A woman named Belle Foster fits this description. She is a member of my family and under my protection." He knew full well that she had seen this man in her dreams and on her journey.

"With your permission," Ramius continued, "I would like to meet her. It was she who awakened me from my long slumber."

"Indeed. I will bring her here after I escort my family to our home."

Ramius waited with Mikhail and some of the other men, trading stories about their lives. A rainbow mist heralded the arrival of Blaine and the woman. As soon as she landed and transformed to her human form, Ramius was flooded with emotions he had not known for millennia. He studied the woman from the top of her head to her toes. Her hair was a rich red and her eyes shone like polished emeralds.

He found himself reaching for her hand and bowing low over it. He kissed the back of it and said, "Belle Foster. I am Ramius of the Dragonseekers."

Belle looked into those swirling eyes and nearly lost herself. She suddenly snatched her hand from his grasp and looked away from his eyes. The other men were watching her and it made her very self-conscious. She needed to get away from them.

"Would you all please excuse me." She turned and ran, then leaped into the air and shifted her form to that of an owl. She had no idea where she was going, she only knew she had to get away, to go some place where she could think.

Her emotions were overwhelming. She was suddenly flooded with sensations that were foreign to her. Part of her wanted to turn back and gaze at the stranger, wanted to see if his hair was as soft as it looked, if his muscles were as firm. The other part wanted to get as far away as possible, away from these feelings, and get control of herself.

She landed on a large branch high in the tree canopy. Shifting back into her human form, she leaned against the main trunk. When she closed her eyes, all she could see where swirls of green and blue. She was afraid she would get lost in those eyes and never find her way back.

Who was this stranger? He had gone from being a dream, a vision, to becoming reality. Her heart pounded in fear. She was so lost in her thoughts, she did not know he was there until he spoke.

"You do not need to fear me little one. You are the safest woman in these mountains." His voice was soft and reached into her soul. She let out a little yelp as he startled her.

"Who are you?" She already knew the answer.

"I am Ramius of the Dragonseekers. I am your lifemate."

"Lifemate." It came out as a whisper. "Are you sure?"

"I see colors for the first time in nearly three thousand years. I feel so many emotions that I can hardly sort them out. There is a burning my body that I do not remember ever feeling. When I look upon you, I know you are my other half."

"You don't know me."

"I know much about you. I will learn much more about you and you will learn about me."

"Where have you been?"

"I have slept deep in the ground these past thousand years. I woke to a world very different from the one I left."

"You were injured."

"Yes. My injuries were life-threatening. I went to ground to heal. I stayed much longer than I intended. Perhaps I knew in my soul I needed to wait for you."

Thoughts and questions swirled in Belle's mind. Did she have to go with this man right now? What were her rights in this situation? Surely she would not be expected to go off with a stranger.

"I will never force you," he said softly. He had read her turmoil, had seen her fear. "We will take this as slow as you wish. I want to court you. I will be in your company so much you will never get me out of your thoughts." He smiled. "When you want me as much as I want you, only then will you leave your home and come to me."

Relief flooded her. She heard stories of lifemates being forced into the relationship quickly. It's true they were happy now, but it had been hard and frustrating for both parties when the woman fought against the domination. Belle didn't want to fight anyone. She preferred peaceful coexistence. That Ramius was willing to give her some space raised him in her esteem.

"Come," he said, "I will escort you home."

They shifted to mist and floated down from the tree. As they moved toward her home, he sent tendrils of his mist out to mix with hers. He fully intended to be patient with her, but his control was limited. He would see that her desire matched his very soon.

Belle knew he was touching her and found it soothing. It was so light she almost missed it. It wasn't erotic exactly, not that she understood how that would feel. She found herself wanting more.

Too soon they landed in front of her home. She looked up at him then looked down at the ground, a blush on her cheeks. He slipped a finger under her chin and nudged her face up. Slowly, he leaned down to brush his lips across hers. His hand moved around to her neck and caressed the tender spot below her ear then moved to the pulse in her neck.

She knew she should step back from him, should tell him to stop, but she couldn't speak or move. His lips trailed down her cheek to the pulse he had just caressed. She felt his warm breath on the spot and his lips moving tenderly. Suddenly there was a white hot pain that shot through her body. It changed instantly from pain to intense pleasure. She could do nothing but let it take her over. She was helpless against this delicious onslaught.

When she came back to herself, she realized there was a large hand on the back of her head. Her mouth was on his chest and filled with his blood. The taste was incredible, sweet and spicy. She had been feeding on blood for over a hundred and fifty years, but it had never tasted like this. She drew her tongue across the pin pricks she did not remember making. He allowed her to step back.

He looked down at her face. Her eyes were full of passion. A drop of blood trailed down the corner of her mouth. He quickly bent down and licked it clean. He knew he could take her right there if he wished, but he would not. Doing so would break his promise to court her properly. He had already taken liberties with her with the blood exchange.

Ramius backed away from her and took her hand. He bowed low and kissed it gently.

"Go inside where it is safe, little one. Sleep and rest. I will see you next rising." He vanished into the night as she closed the door.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: The usual disclaimers apply. In case I forgot to mention it, this story contains spoilers for some of the books.

Chapter 9, Courting

"How do you know if what you feel is real or is just because of the bond?" Belle asked.

Deborah thought for a few moments, wanting to be as honest as she could without scaring her friend.

"When I was human, I married a man chosen by my father. I believe he knew he was dying and he wanted to be sure I was taken care of. I had never had strong feelings about a man so I went along with his wishes. You need to realize that, during this period in the mid-1800's, women had few civil rights. People often married for reasons that had nothing to do with love. Sometimes marriages were arranged and sometimes they were because of mutual need, whether for security or just for comfort.

"My marriage was like that. I liked my husband and he was good to me, but I didn't love him, not the way I do Blaine. If I had not been married before, if I had been a virgin, the vampire's abuse would have been much worse for me. As it was, I had a hard time dealing with it for years.

"Oh, Deborah, I never realized how it affected you all those years. Why didn't you tell me?" Belle was ashamed. "You have always been so strong."

"I kept it to myself. It wasn't something I could bring myself to talk about. I suppose it's why I felt the need to punish those who abused others, why I had to kill the undead when we came across them. Each time I killed one of them, I was killing him again. At least I had known tenderness and consideration before it all happened. Destiny and Skyler had only known abuse and I can't imagine how it has affected them. But Destiny had Nikolai to help her through it and Skyler has Dimitri. Destiny has certainly killed her share of the creatures. Skyler may not be a killer but she grows stronger all the time."

She reached out for Blaine's hand.

"When I met Blaine, I felt sexual desire for the first time in my life. I had no idea I could feel that way, especially after the vampire. He washed away all the pain from that experience. I finally understood what it meant in the human marriage ceremony where it was said that 'a man would leave his family and cleave unto his wife and they would become one.' In our case it is literal. We are joined in mind and heart all the time. It is much more than a joining of bodies, though that is an important and enjoyable part of it.

"It's much more frightening for a woman who has never been with a man. There is an element of fear there, fear of invasion, of loss of self, of pain. There is some of that, but what you get back is so much more, and so worth it."

"But when a man meets his lifemate, I can't help feeling that he is just relieved. How can he love her, when any woman with the right chemistry would do? I mean, it doesn't matter what she looks like or how she feels or what hopes and dreams she has. She's expected to put everything she is aside and be his appendage. Where is the love in that?" Belle looked back and forth at both of them, tears in her eyes.

It was Blaine's turn to speak.

"Belle, it is so much more than that. It isn't just any woman who can be a lifemate. There is only one for each of us. Perhaps it is like an arranged marriage, but it is arranged by God or nature, however you want to look at it. Deborah is the other half of my soul. When I can feel what she feels, when I can know every desire, every fear, everything that makes her happy, how can that not be love?

"I admit that, at first, there was a feeling of relief that I would be spared the decision of meeting the dawn or becoming vampire. But just being near her made me feel happy. She completes me. How could I not fall in love with her immediately?

"I do understand, from being in Deborah's mind, that the woman might feel put upon and manipulated, that she has no choice, and that is why the male can bind her to him until he can convince her to fall in love with him." He pulled Deborah to him and placed a kiss on top of her head.

"After all, we need the woman much more that she needs us. I hope you will give Ramius a chance. He will be good to you. He will treat you with respect and he will love you and make you happy. He can do no other. He will also dominate you, control you and protect you. He can't help it, he is a Carpathian male."

He noticed Deborah glaring at him.

"Perhaps I should say he will try to dominate and control you."

Belle smiled at both of them.

"There are several instances of males who chose to support their women in their choice of where to live and in their professions. Look at Byron. He married Antonietta in a human marriage ceremony and lives with her and her family at their ancestral home in Italy. Shea lives here but she is still a doctor and researcher and Jacques supports her in this. I've heard that Rafael de la Cruz was willing to live with Colby on her ranch in California if she hated living in Brazil. Manolito too, would live in Seattle with Maryann if that was what it took to make her happy.

"We are all very protective of our women, even those who are not our lifemates or members of our family. I have met Ramius and been in his mind. I believe him to be a man of honor. He offered his blood in the Warrior's Cave and was accepted. I would never let him near you if that were not true."

"All right, I'll give him a chance. It's not like I have a choice. And he is handsome." He was more than handsome she thought. The memory of his lips touching hers, his taking of her blood, the taste of his blood in her mouth, sent a hot flush through her entire body, and a blush to her face. She seemed to be blushing a lot lately.

"He will be glad to hear that," Blaine said, smiling inwardly at her reaction. He was well aware of Belle's thoughts. "He is just outside the door."

******

Belle walked out to see her lifemate. Ramius bowed over her hand and kissed it.

"I wondered if you would walk with me for a bit," he said smoothly in a voice that made her shiver. She felt her cheeks flush again as she nodded her assent.

They walked in silence for a time, the tall man with tawny hair and the small red-haired woman. He studied her as they walked, tempted to dip into her mind again, but wanting to respect her privacy. His need of her was fierce, but he would not allow her to see it as it was. The intensity of it would be frightening to her.

His body exuded warmth as they walked. She knew he was keeping his nature under control. It was a little frightening and very exhilarating to be in the company of someone with such power flowing from him. She had known a few others with this kind of strength, ancient ones. Lucian and his brother, Gabriel. Gregori, the Dark One. Even though he was not as old as many of the others, he was incredibly powerful. Blaine was a true ancient, but she was used to his power. As she thought of it, she realized all the men were surrounded by this kind of power. It increased with age and she didn't know any who were not centuries old.

Young Josef lived in Italy with his Uncle Byron and there was another, Benjamin, who was only about fifty years old. She had never met either of them.

There were few women who were as old as the men. Those who were also had power surrounding them. Francesca, Desari, and Sendil, Celeste and Diedre, were considered ancients. Natalya was probably older than Deborah and Belle before she was converted by Vikirnoff. Of course, she was half Carpathian, which gave her longevity and strength.

The twins, Natalya's aunts, would be formidable when they gained their full strength.

Belle could feel their power when she was in their company.

Belle and Deborah were still young as Carpathians but Deborah was powerful and Belle, though non-violent, considered herself a force to be reckoned with under the right circumstances.

Thinking of these people, knowing she was one of them, made her feel proud. These were a fine and noble people and Belle was glad to be counted among them.

Ramius had picked up on her musings. It bothered him that she had ever been near a vampire. She was not a hunter or fighter. She was gentle and kind and he was grateful the males of his species had protected her.

He reached out to take her hand. She looked up at him and smiled. They walked to a clearing that sloped upward to a rocky outcropping. With her permission, he picked her up and floated them up to the rocks. They could see for miles from that spot. He knew from her mind that this was a favorite place for her.

"Tell me about yourself, your life before you were Carpathian. I want to know everything about you. I want to know how it was you came to be converted. It was not Blaine, or I would sense that about you." His voice was velvet and made her want to do anything thing he asked.

"I hope my life story won't bore you."

"There is nothing boring about you little one. Please, tell me."

"I was the only child of my parents. I was born in 1845 in the Blue Ridge area of North Carolina. I had a happy childhood I think. My mother lost several children after I was born. My parents were sad they did not have more children, but they loved me very much.

"When I was fourteen, I was picking berries in the woods near our home. Two men attacked me and I was rescued by Blaine. He rescued me again a few nights later from a vampire. He was wounded and he let me help him pack his wounds. When he rose the next evening he was healed. He told me about the Carpathians then.

"He left the area shortly after that. He suggested he might become a danger to me eventually. I didn't understand what he meant at that time. I do now.

"When I was nineteen, I was kidnapped by evil men. They bound and gagged me and threw me into a wagon. I was taken to a house where the owner had died. That was the night I met Deborah.

"Deborah had been captured and abused by a vampire. He forced three blood exchanges on her and she was beginning the conversion. The vampire took great delight in telling me what would happen to me. He planned that he and Deborah would drink my blood, maybe keeping me alive for a long time before killing me. He even suggested he might not kill me but keep me with him as he planned to do with Deborah. It was terrifying.

"She managed to kill him down in the cellar before the conversion began. She made her way up the stairs, wounded and sick as she was, and loosened my bonds before a convulsion took her. I got myself loose and took care of her.

"She tried to get me to run away, afraid she would hurt me. I knew that would not happen, because I had seen us together in my dreams. I had dreamed about her for years, Blaine too. My dreams always come true. Sometimes there are things that can be prevented and sometimes I dream things that are bound to happen."

Ramius followed Belle's story in her mind as she spoke. He loved the sound of her voice and was enraged at the tragedy of her life. He had to remind himself that she would not be here if these events had not happened. Keeping silent, he listened.

"I took care of her that long night and got her to feed from me the next rising. I knew she would not hurt me and when she realized she could control herself, she felt less of a monster.

"We made our way back to my home. I knew something terrible had happened to my parents. We found them dead, murdered, in the house. The men who had taken me had killed them."

Ramius felt her sadness and reached out to touch the tears that streamed down her face.

"I'm sorry. It still saddens me when I think about it."

"Do not apologize for missing your loved ones. It is natural."

"Do you still miss your family?"

"Yes. I had lost my ability to feel, but I remember the love I had for my brother and parents. I remember the joy he felt in his lifemate and children, even though I could not feel it. I was glad for him. Each time a male finds his other half it gives the rest of us hope."

He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed each finger, then the palm. Heat flowed up her arm and into her body.

"Please, continue your story," he said.

It took her a moment to focus her thoughts, so distracted was she by the feel of his lips on her hand.

"The town's people helped us bury them. I moved in with Deborah. We needed each other; became sisters of the heart. The men who killed my parents and kidnapped me broke into the house near sunset that same day. Deborah rose in time to stop them from hurting me. She made them walk into the woods and shoot each other. Eventually their bones were scattered by animals.

"We made a life for ourselves. A few years later we moved to Memphis, Tennessee. I taught school for a while. Deborah did tutoring in the evening. We met a doctor, an older gentleman with a generous and loving heart. He taught me about medicine. While we were there, a terrible yellow fever epidemic swept the area. I caught it and was very sick. That was the first time Deborah exchanged blood with me.

"Our doctor friend knew that she was different and eventually found out how different, but he kept our secret. He and I were in his carriage one evening near the railroad. The train whistle startled the horse and it bolted. We crashed into a freight wagon and overturned. Our friend was killed instantly and I was badly injured. Deborah exchanged blood with me again and healed me. We know now she could have given me her blood without an exchange, but perhaps it was instinctive. I don't know. She was very new at living that way.

"After that, it was very hard for me to be out in the daylight and I couldn't consume anything but the simplest broth or water. Deborah knew about my dreams of the future by then. We decided to complete the conversion.

"We learned together. We studied the memories she had gotten from the vampire. I studied herbs and healing. We were happy. Eventually we settled in the Seattle, Washington area. I few years ago we adopted two girls. About three years after that Blaine came into her life and back into mine."

"How is it you came to the Carpathian Mountains?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Things happened. We were attacked by vampires. Samantha and I were kidnapped by people from a group who wanted to study us. Deborah and Blaine, along with Manolito de la Cruz and two unmated males who were in the area, came to rescue us. His lifemate stayed with our other adopted child, Tamara. When it was over, we decided to come here. Blaine wanted to see his homeland again and raise his child here.

"I've been happy here. I learned much from the ancients, both male and female. I've been able to contribute something to Carpathian society and that's a good thing."

All this time he had kept hold of her hand, rubbing the palm with his thumb, occasionally kissing the back then the palm or her fingers. Her insides were thrumming with heat. He caught her gaze and leaned toward her. Slowly, he lowered his head and gently touched his lips to hers.

Her lips parted of their own accord and the pressure of his lips increased. She felt his tongue seeking entrance and met him with her own. The kiss was so hot she thought she might catch fire. She was not even aware when she melted into his arms.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: The usual disclaimers apply. I hope you all are not bored with this story. I've tried to establish the relationship between Belle and Ramius, while moving into the danger they face. If I missed any mistakes, I apologize

Chapter 10, Evil Rising

Ramius pulled his mouth from hers reluctantly. His body raged with hunger and need. If he did not put some space between them he would have her then and there.

"My dearest Belle," he whispered, "I desire you with everything I am. I feel your desire."

He stood and pulled her up, holding her to him.

"I must prepare a home for you. When we come together I want it to be in a place and time where there will be no interruptions. It will be a place where we will truly become one."

"I don't care what it looks like or if it's perfect, I want to be with you." Belle had been in his mind. She had seen him in her dreams and knew him. He intimidated her at first with his great strength and his age. Now she understood the meaning of having someone who was her other half. The thought of being separated from him was painful and he had not even said the words of binding.

He gently stepped back from her, his hands on her shoulders.

"I must go back to the cave where I rested. My enemy is there and must be dealt with. If he rises, all creatures are at risk. If something should happen to me, you must go on. That is why I have not bound you to me, why I have not completed the ritual."

"We have exchanged blood. You may not have said the words, but we are bound. You have taken a piece of my heart. Nothing must happen to you. I think it's too late for me to go on without you." Belle had tears in her eyes. She was lost and she knew it. If they were human, she might have more self control, but they were not human. Carpathians were different. She had no choice but to be with him. Her mind knew it. Her body knew it. Her heart knew it.

"You must go home, little love. I need to know you are safe. I will come for you when my task is complete."

"Ramius, I have duties I must perform. Some of the couples are expecting and I need to check their resting soil for the extremophile." His gaze darkened at her words. She continued quickly.

"We all have our tasks to perform, Ramius. You must deal with Tiberius and I must kill organisms so our women can carry their children to term and keep them alive." She looked at him tenderly. "I always have protection. You don't need to worry about me."

"Very well. I will escort you home and meet with your protectors."

She smiled to herself as they shifted into owl form and sped to her home.

Destiny and Nicolae waited on the deck at the house. The two men nodded to each other and the women embraced.

"I understand you are going to check the vampire's resting place," Nicolae said.

"Yes. I must make sure he does not rise. I was too weak when I rose and have not been back to the cave. My safeguards are strong but he is powerful and they will not hold forever."

"You are going alone?"

"No. Lucian and Gabriel will accompany me." He smiled. "I am not so foolish as to refuse aid."

"They both have lifemates and Gabriel has children," said Destiny. "If anything happens to them, their lifemates will suffer."

"I have a lifemate also," Ramius said, looking at Belle, "Lucian and Gabriel are strong and we will be stronger together. I intend to kill Tiberius immediately before he gains strength."

"If anything happens to them, their lifemates will suffer." Destiny could not help repeating herself.

"I know. That is why we will watch each other's backs."

"I would be honored to accompany you," said Nicolae. Destiny gasped.

"If you go, I'm going with you," she said.

"That cannot be permitted," said Ramius. He sensed the shadow of great pain and sorrow in this woman. She was truly Nicolae's partner and looked every inch a fighter. Still, the prospect of a woman facing a vampire chilled him to his soul.

"I killed vampires before I met Nicolae," she said, "I killed them afterward."

Nicolae reached for her hand. "I will go nowhere without you, Destiny." He could not bear her fear for him and he could not bear to be separated from her for any length of time.

"And what about Jaxon?" Belle asked, "She is as much a fighter as Destiny. There is no way she would allow Lucian to go without her."

"I see much has changed since my time. We did not have women fighting vampires back then. Of course, we also did not have mated males fighting vampires." He bowed to Destiny and Nicolae. "I will defer to your judgement. As I understand it, both of these women are fighters out of necessity. I must confess I do not like it."

Lucian and Jaxon chose that moment to appear. Shortly afterward, Natalya and Vikirnoff joined them.

They argued over who was to go and who was to stay. Vikirnoff wanted to go with his brother, and of course Natalya demanded to go if he did.

It was finally agreed that Nicolae and Destiny, Lucian and Jaxon would accompany Ramius. Gabriel would stay to watch over his daughters with his lifemate. Natalya and Vikirnoff had the responsibility of the aunts. Natalya would consult with them on mage spells to protect everyone, especially the female children. All the Carpathians would be alert.

Ramius kissed Belle before shifting into an owl and taking wing. As she watched him fly away with his companions, she had a vision. It was of a cave with the soil in upheaval. A foul creature rose from the break, grinning in triumph. Belle sent him the image.

"_Ramius, I think this is happening now."_

"_I still must go and check, little love. Perhaps we can intercept him or at least find clues while we are there."_

"_Go then, and hurry back."_ She sent him a kiss and the promise of wonderful things to come.

*******

Ramius and his companions sped to the deep cavern. They all shifted to bats to make there way through narrow cracks and tubes. The cavern was as Belle had seen. The ground was disturbed and the safeguards unraveled. Tiberius was loose.

Natalya used her magic to check for traps, though the vampire would have been extremely weak when he rose.

"There is nothing, Ramius."

"I can track him. We exchanged blood long before he turned."

They left the cavern to head toward home. Ramius cast his awareness over the city, seeking any sign of his former friend. They found the remains of a family, the bodies savagely mauled and drained of blood. The pathetic bodies of two children had the men rigid with anger and the women weeping.

The team took the bodies to the forest and buried them, bowing their heads in reverence. Afterward, they searched but there was no other sign of Tiberius. He was adept at hiding himself.

*******

Cedric and Dimitri accompanied Belle on her rounds. Though Dimitri had not completed the mating ritual with Skyler and Cedric had to wait for his mate to grow up, Belle knew she was safe with these men. They had the hope of a bright future.

It was near dawn when they escorted her back to her home. Blaine met her at the door as she went inside.

"I have heard from those who went to kill the vampire, Belle. He was not there. He had already risen."

"I know," she said, "We need to talk to Natalya and the twins. I'm hoping they can come up with mage spells to protect all of us."

"You believe he will come here." It was not a question.

"Yes, unfortunately. All the visions have him coming here. Each time I see you having your heart torn out. I see a vampire snatching Selene from Deborah. Sometimes I see one of them taking Samantha. Other times Samantha is lying dead on the ground." Belle rubbed her temples wearily. "We have to change the circumstances. If we do that maybe we can change the outcome. Nothing is set in stone. The future is fluid. What I see is possibility, but I'm seeing the same possibility each time."

"I will consult with Mikhail. I do not think the vampire will threaten us before the next rising. I would feel better if we gathered all the women and children together in the cave of pools like we did when Ramius turned up."

"I don't know, Blaine, that doesn't feel right. It needs to be a place of power. A place the vampires cannot easily enter. Even the cave of pools can be breached."

"I must speak with Mikhail. It is so close to dawn, I do not think we are in any danger from the vampire. We will enhance the safeguards. Sleep this day, Belle. Your lifemate and his companions will sleep in the forest, as they are too far away to return before the sun rises." He noted the worry on her face. "They are all powerful, including Destiny and Jaxon. They will be okay and they will be here shortly after sunset. Rest, Belle, and dream a way for us to defeat this creature."

As Belle, settled down to sleep, she reached for her lifemate.

"_Ramius"_ She poured all the longing she had into the message.

"_I am always with you, little one." _

"_I'm sorry you didn't find Tiberius."_

"_So am I, lifemate. This means he is loose and extremely dangerous. I will ask the Prince to gather you all at his home."_

"_That puts him and his family in danger."_

"_He is the Prince. He and his family are already in danger. It is his duty and privilege to protect the women and children. Trust me on this."_

"_I was with you when you found the family he killed. He'll do that to all of us won't he?"_

"_I had hoped to shield you from that horror, Belle,"_

"_I've seen horror, Ramius. I've seen it in person and I've seen it in my visions. You can't protect me from it. You didn't answer me. Will he do that to all of us?"_

"_I think you know the answer, Beloved. The vampire destroys everything he touches. He will want the girls, even the unattached women. They still seek to restore their souls though they know it is impossible. Tiberius is very old and very powerful. He will try to bring others under his influence. That is probably why you saw more than one vampire in your visions."_

"_I'm afraid, Ramius."_

"_I know, Beloved. We will defeat him. You and I will be together. You must hold on to that thought and help protect the children. If I am wrong and we fail, you and I will be together in the next world. Do not fear death, Beloved." _

He sent reassurance and calm to her, flooding her with peace.

"_Thank you, Ramius. You give me hope."_

"_Sleep, my love, and rest."_

"_I love you, Ramius."_


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I apologize for taking so long to continue this story. I reached a point where I didn't know which way I wanted to take it. I have finally decided and am working on the next chapter. I won't make any promises as to how long I will take, but I hope you all will enjoy it. There are a couple of references to Dark Slayer.

The usual disclaimers apply.

Chapter 11, Attack

The sun had settled behind the mountains and the sky was streaked with color as the Carpathians rose. They were soon busy evacuating the women and children to the Healing Cave. After a great deal of consideration, Mikhail and the ancients determined that they could ask the help of Mother Earth. With the help of the couple who were in the soil healing from another close encounter with a master vampire, the community had gained a new ally.

It was unlikely a vampire could enter this particular cave with the powerful magic and spells of protection surrounding it. The earth itself would protect those within from any threat traveling through the ground. The women who were fighters would be on alert inside the cavern to defend those who were not should it be necessary. The men would defend the outer perimeter.

"_Belle, I will back to get you as soon as Deborah and the girls are safe." _Blaine was adamant.

"_I want to wait here for Ramius. You should stay there."_

"_You are under my protection. Ramius will know where to find you."_

Belle waited at her home, all senses alert. The vampire was on his way and would arrive before Blaine. She had not told anyone that she still expected the attack to take place there and she hoped to stall him until Ramius arrived. If the vampire followed the others to the Healing Cave, he might be stopped, but many people would possibly die. Belle had seen this, yet the visions were very confusing. To protect everyone, Tiberius had to come to the place she had seen in her visions, her home.

The house was protected by extensive and layered safeguards. The vampire might unravel them eventually but Belle hoped to be out of his reach by then. She had worked with the hunters and female fighters, including Deborah and the ancient women, to improve her skills. Women's magic was powerful.

The Carpathian community was just now realizing how powerful this magic could be. There had been so few females and those were very young, they had forgotten what could be accomplished by practice and maturity as was evident in the female ancients

. Belle's work of cleansing and enriching the soil was in her favor too. The Earth Mother, Goddess, God, Creator of All, or any number of other names, knew Belle and would defend her.

"_Ramius, are you close?"_

"_We are still some distance away, little one. I sense that you are alone at your home. Why have you not gone to the cavern with the others?"_

"_Tiberius is coming here, Ramius. There will be an attack, but the visions are muddy. I have to be here. Our most vulnerable people are there in the cave. The potential for death and destruction is too great, even with the protections. Carpathians will die trying to keep the vampires out. As long as he believes he can find me here, this is where he will come."_

"_You are using yourself as bait."_

"_Yes."_

"_You have determined that he is after you?"_

"_Yes, I think so."_

"_Foolish woman. Go to the cave immediately!" _Ramius' command reverberated through her mind and body.

She sent him the images from her latest vision, knowing he would share them with the other men.

"_I am not helpless, my love. I will do my best to keep away from him until you can get here. If the others come, they need to wait until he is here and surround him."_

"_If they can defeat him at your home, they can defeat him at the cavern."_

"_They can't surround him there. He is more powerful even than you me beloved, the ground here is saturated with my power and influence. I have healed the earth and kept it healthy. It will aid me."_

It was well after full dark when a psychic cry of pain and fear flashed through the Carpathian community. Gabriel and his family, on their way to the cavern, were being attacked. His brothers and Dimitri went instantly to his aid but by the time they arrived, the vampire was gone and Gabriel was severely wounded.

Dimitri took Skyler and little Tamara to the cavern while Francesca and the other men aided Gabriel. It was a shock to the community that a warrior of Gabriel's caliber could be surprised in such a way. By the time Skyler recognized the taint of vampire, he was on them in a hit and run maneuver. All this was shared among the community as it happened.

Ramius' thought came to her.

"_This is the way Tiberius fights. He is very good at hiding himself, even from the Dragonseekers. He is also a master of illusion and does not like direct conflict. He prefers to wear his enemies down before finishing them. He plays with them."_

"_I think that is a common tactic of master vampires, Ramius."_

The wind picked up, sending leaves and twigs swirling in small whirlwinds across the front yard.

"_He's here, Ramius."_

"_We are almost there, beloved."_

"_We are coming as well."_ Mikhail's voice echoed in her mind."

"_You must not, Mikhail."_ Gregori's mental voice was loud.

"_He is right my Prince, your power would best be used to protect the women and children in the Healing Cave." _Ramius' voice was accompanied by the same opinion from the other males.

"_Mikhail, I think you will be needed at the cave. The visions are confusing but I think there will be an attack on two fronts."_ Belle hoped he believed her. _"If many of our fighters are here, there will be fewer to defend those in the cave. I believe you need to be prepared to defend them."_

"_Very well, but we cannot afford to lose a mated pair, Ramius. You must retrieve Belle and come to the safety of the cave." _

A tall man materialized in the yard and hovered above the ground. Belle knew he could not see her, yet she felt as if his eyes were on her. She sent her awareness into the earth and was answered.

She pulled power around her and very gently began spinning a shield. The vampire would sense an overt use of energy, but if she was gentle enough, she could surround him with a reflective shield before he was aware of it, she hoped.

Tendrils of energy touched her; the vampire was seeking a way into her mind. She held her self still and quiet, maintaining the shielding on her mind. Ramius was in the back of her mind giving her strength.

The ground suddenly shook. Belle was nearly startled into dropping her mind shield. Ramius held her steady and she continued building the invisible bubble she would use to trap the vampire. Her awareness told he had settled on the ground. The insects in the area were fleeing for their lives and vegetation withered.

The vampire aimed a bolt of energy at the house shielding, causing the structure to shudder. An apparent crack in the shield spurred him into another attack. The shields were layered in such a way that when the outer one was breached, another took its place. These shields were not limitless and would run out under a prolonged attack. While the vampire was focused on the shields, Belle continued building hers.

Ramius, along with Nicolae and Destiny, and Lucian and Jaxon, materialized at the edge of the yard. As they did, five more vampires appeared. Ramius flew at Tiberius in an attempt to knock him off his feet. His personal shield flared, throwing Ramius back.

"_Go out the back door and get to the cave while we distract him,"_ Ramius told her firmly.

"_I'm almost finished weaving my holding shield. When it's closed, it will absorb the energy from his shield and create a surface to mirror his spells back to him."_

She heard him grumbling about disobedience and sent amusement to him.

Finally, her weave was complete. Slowly she wrapped the loosely woven spell around the vampire and, with a surge of power, pulled it tight.

Tiberius had a look of shock on his face when his next bolt of energy flashed back and over him. He roared with rage, causing the ground to shake.

Ramius and the other hunters engaged the other vampires. The number of adversaries increased as the vampires cloned themselves in an attempt to confuse the hunters. Blaine, Gregori, Darius, Vikirnof and Natalya joined the fray. Natalya held back, using her mage spells to fight the vampires.

Nicolae and Destiny moved like dancers in a choreographed ballet of death. Jaxon fired bullets coated with holy water, trying to hit a real vampire and destroy it and its clones. The other males moved as a team, their actions complimenting each other. One by one, the vampires and their clones died.

Belle went to the door to see with her eyes the ancient vampire who had Ramius so worried. The vampire saw her and knew it was she who had entrapped him. He looked back at her with cold eyes. He had once been a handsome man, but had become the epitome of the undead with his scraggly hair and yellowish skin pulled taut across his bones. His fangs were long and yellow and his fingernails were like talons. His eyes blazed red.

There was something odd about his appearance. At first glance, Belle saw a hideous creature with the illusion of beauty around him. When she looked closer with her senses it seemed that there was something under the vampire's ugliness, as if that was an illusion also.

His mouth moved, forming words. She cried out, collapsing to her knees, as pain shot through her head. Frantically, she worked to maintain the shield around Tiberius, but she was losing the battle. She sensed something like regret coming from the creature as her shielding collapsed.

Belle called on the earth's energy for aid. Vines leaped up to wind around Tiberius. He quickly incinerated them. Each barrier she wove, each attempt to attack him with the earth's help was in vain.

She watched in horror as more vampires and clones joined the battle. Ramius was surrounded and fighting valiantly. Suddenly, she was unable to move or speak. In shock she saw Tiberius move toward her even as he appeared to fight her vines and roots. Strong arms wrapped around her and she was taken into the sky, unable even to call Ramius in her mind.

*******

I don't think I'm very good a writing battles, so I hope this all made sense.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12, Tiberius

As soon as Tiberius vanished into the sky with Belle, the vampires and their clones disappeared. Ramius and the others stood, stunned, by the realization that everything had been an illusion. Their wounds vanished as if they had never been.

"Blast!" Ramius was filled with fear for Belle, along with shame and frustration. "I have to go after her. The rest of you must go to the cavern."

"We will help you Ramius." Lucian said.

"No, this is between Tiberius and me. He is much more powerful than I realized."

"_Why are you still playing with your friends, Ramius. I have something of yours, you should be in the sky following me."_ Tiberius mocking voice echoed in their heads. _"A master vampire is attacking the place where your women and children hide. You all have a choice to make. Will you help Ramius retrieve his woman or will you run to help your people? What an entertaining dilemma." _

Gregori's face was not the only one going pale. His greatest treasures were in that cave. Blaine was torn with the need to go to his lifemate's defense or go after Belle, who was under his protection.

"_Ramius, tell the others to go help the other Carpathians. Trust me on this."_ There was no hint of fear in Belle's mental touch.

"Belle says you must go to the cave to help the others. I will follow Tiberius. There is something going on here I do not understand." He took off without waiting for a response.

"_Belle, what is happening?" _Blaine called.

"_Things are not what they appear. Go to the cave. They are under attack by the master vampire, Sergey. Please believe me, Deborah and Selene need your help much more than I do. Remember what I told you about protecting your heart."_

"_All right, then, but I will very angry if you are harmed."_

With that statement Blaine and the others shot through the sky toward the Healing Cavern.

As soon as Tiberius grabbed her, Belle knew he was not what he seemed. Flashes of the past showed him with Ramius, watching each other's backs, fighting side by side, finding the bodies of his family, and catching a vampire standing over the body of Ramius' brother.

Another flash showed a cave with an elderly woman with blind eyes who looked very wise. She saw Tiberius sitting at the feet of a bearded man learning spells and illusions. Finally, there was a vision of him rising to the side of Ramius's resting place and carefully reinforcing safeguards around the sleeping Carpathian, before weaving the illusion of a vampire buried in the earth. Whatever Tiberius was, he was not a vampire.

"Good," said Tiberius in a voice so beautiful it invited her to listen forever. "You see the truth. That is very good."

"Where are you taking me?" Belle knew he intended no harm to her and was no longer frightened. She allowed her senses to take him in and felt only determination. There was no taint of evil. He was either very good at hiding it, or it did not exist.

"To the caverns where Ramius and I rested for so long. He will follow as soon as he realizes he is surrounded by illusion."

"The others will follow, too."

"They must not. They are needed at the Healing Cavern. A master vampire and his minions will attack at any moment. You were wise to encourage them to go there. When the vampires attack the Carpathians on the outside can attack them from the rear. "

"Why are you doing this? It's obvious you are not a vampire. Yet you and Ramius fought for years."

"It was necessary and I will explain everything when we meet in the caverns."

Belle immediately sent a message to Ramius and a reassurance to Blaine. She hoped the spells and safeguards created by Natalya and her aunts were helpful, especially the magical armor to protect the chests and necks of the warriors.

"You really don't have to carry me. Allow me to shift into mist and I will fly along side you."

"I trust you will not try to flee?"

"Absolutely not. You are a mystery and you are important to Ramius. I have questions that only you can answer."

He released her as she shifted and they shot like meteors across the sky, with Ramius hot on the trail. Belle sent him a mental kiss.

Deep in the earth, Ramius arrived to find his lifemate and Tiberius seated on smooth boulders and chatting like old friends. He quickly shifted into his human form as Belle rose and ran into his arms.

"_Your lifemate is delightful, Ramius. I'm surprised you have not completed the mating ritual."_ The mental voice sounded almost amused.

Ramius glared at him.

"I don't know whether to kill you or embrace you, Tiberius. I still see you in my mind standing over the body of my brother."

"I will settle for a friendly greeting at this time, old friend, and I hope you realize now that I did not kill your brother," Tiberius said, reaching to clasp Ramius' forearms in the way of warriors. "Though you may yet have a chance to kill me, as I have not found my lifemate, and the darkness grows ever closer."

"Why have you pretended to have turned vampire for all these centuries, Tiberius? And, I might add, you did it very well. You nearly killed me last time we fought."

"I never came close to killing you. I knew you would heal from the injuries I dealt you. In any case, you injured me as badly as I did you."

Ramius looked Tiberius over carefully, opening his senses to examine what could not be seen with the eyes.

"You have grown powerful, Tiberius. You have skills in magic and illusion that most Carpathians do not have. You tricked ancient, experienced fighters in our battle at Belle's home. It shames me that I did not see through your deception."

"Yes, I have grown stronger, but do not be ashamed, it was necessary for you to be deceived. I have much to tell you, before I reach the end of my existence." He quickly reshaped the boulders and fashioned cushions for comfort. "Please, sit, and I will tell you of centuries past."

"You remember the death of my family. Even though I had lost my emotions, the emptiness I endured after their deaths was devastating. I considered meeting the dawn then, rather than continue my existence, but I did not, as you know."

"I know you disappeared for centuries. The next time I saw you, you were standing over the body of my brother." Now that he could feel emotion again, there was a sharp pain in the area of Ramius' heart at the memory.

"I had been tracking that vampire for some time. Unfortunately, he surprised your brother and killed him before I could aid him. The vampire was a master and very powerful. You know they are hard to kill without help." Ramius nodded.

"I realized that you believed I was the vampire and I decided to allow you to continue believing this." He raised his hand for silence as Ramius' started to object.

Belle reached for her lifemate's hand, sending him calm. His returned emotions were so new and raw he could barely control his reactions. Feelings of confusion, betrayal, and anger at Tiberius, warred with his feelings for her, love, possession, lust and the desire to protect her. Completion of the mating ritual would help him to have more control and she meant to see to its completion as soon as she could get him alone.

**A/N:** I'm sorry, I have been typing this a little at a time. I am trying to stimulate my brain into telling Tiberius' story, but it's hard to get enough brain cells to cooperate. I've decided to give you what I have while I get Tiberius to open up and tell me what happened all those years ago. I apologize for any typos.


	13. Chapter 13

The usual disclaimers apply.

Chapter 13, Catching Up

"I wandered for years after the death of my family. Even though I had other kin I had no desire for their company. Eventually I arrived in the Greek Isles and lived there for a time. While I was there I met a very interesting woman.

"She was very old, but was revered as a wise woman for her people. She was blind, but she saw to my very soul. I spent many evenings in her company and relaxed as much as is possible for someone like me.

"I believe she sensed that I was not human, but it did not seem to bother her. One evening she took my hand in hers and went into a trance. She told me that you and I would find our hearts desire in two millennia, that we would need to be strong for each other.

"Two millennia?" Ramius asked.

"Yes, and we were already over one thousand years old. Do you know any of our kind who lasted three thousand years without a lifemate?"

Ramius shook his head.

"When I returned to our homeland I arrived to find your brother fighting a vampire. Before I could intervene, the vampire killed your brother and fled. You arrived just afterward. I knew there was nothing I could do to save your brother's lifemate, but I realized I could help you and maybe myself, so I allowed you to believe I was the vampire.

"By pursuing me and focusing your efforts on my destruction, you would not be damaging your soul by destroying others. I left you clues along the way to be sure you would find me. I killed those who enjoyed harming others, but I did not kill while feeding. Even so, I could feel the darkness in me growing."

"I am grateful for your efforts Tiberius, but I wish you had told me about the old seer."

"What could you have done, Ramius. I had no idea how to keep either of us from turning over two thousand years, but I knew there had to be a way or the old woman would not have had the vision.

"Eventually I came across a mage who was very powerful and we became friends of a sort. Being unable to feel emotions makes it difficult to enjoy the company of others, as you know."

Ramius nodded in agreement.

"This mage taught me a great deal about illusion and how it could be used as a tool for good or evil. I began to use it to trick you into believing I killed the innocent. I became very good at it. When you and I had our last battle before going to ground, I made sure you believed you had wounded me badly. I realized that sleeping for centuries might save both of us.

"When you buried me and set the safeguards, then buried yourself, I reinforced the safeguards and cast spells to keep us both asleep. I rose before you did, but I set an illusion that made you believe I was still there."

"What about the family they found murdered in the city?" Belle asked.

"Unfortunately, the vampire had already killed them when I arrived. I examined them, but there was nothing I could do, so I went after the vampire and destroyed him. I knew you and your associates would find and dispose of the bodies. I regret that I did not get there in time to save those people. I may not feel emotions, but I know my duty, and I failed to protect an innocent family."

"We all go through that Tiberius. I failed to save a Carpathian male and his lifemate," Belle said sadly, "I will never forget the pain of that."

Ramius gently squeezed her hand and nodded at Tiberius' questioning glance.

"Her sorrow and pain brought me to full wakefulness. I had seen her in dreams, but I was compelled to ease her pain. There was an infant close by…"

"Deborah and Blaine's daughter," Belle said.

"Yes, their daughter. The child is already powerful though she is newborn. She is a born healer. I used my power with her ability to take much of the pain from my lifemate. I sensed that she might try to harm herself."

Belle's eyes filled with tears as she looked down at their clasped hands.

"I'm glad I didn't," she whispered.

"So am I, little one, though I doubt the Prince and the Dark One would have allowed it. Nor would your heart-sister or her lifemate."

"The loss of a mated pair is truly a tragedy for our people," Tiberius said, "I have seen how few of us remain."

"They are together in the afterlife," Belle said, "I saw them and talked with them during a soul journey."

Ramius decided to redirect the conversation to Tiberius' tale.

"Tell me of this mage who taught you so much."

"He was very powerful and he was an ally of our people. He taught me the fine points of creating illusions and of setting illusion spells. Some of these illusions are deadly if they cause people to react to them in the wrong way."

"The battle at Belle's home." Tiberius nodded.

"Those vampires seemed very real, as did the blows and cuts they inflicted."

"But those cuts were gone when the illusion ended."

"Yes. That was very impressive."

"I did not wish to harm any of the warriors. I knew that Sergey expected to find everyone in the caverns. By delaying those Carpathians with the false battle, they were able to surprise him and his cohorts and drive them away. He is not dead, unfortunately."

Along with Tiberius, Ramius had been monitoring the battle at the healing caverns.

"Is this why my visions were so jumbled?" Belle asked.

"I do not know," Tiberius said, "It is very possible. Have your previous visions been more direct?"

"Yes. I couldn't tell when an event was supposed happen, but they were clear. The visions I had of the fight in front of the house tended to change often."

"Then it is likely caused by the fact that I never intended to harm any of you. It is a pity I cannot ask the mage who taught me. He is long dead, murdered by his own son."

Belle gasped. Ramius looked shocked.

"His own son?"

"Yes, unfortunately. The boy had a darkness in him that I could read easily, even though he was very young. I returned after many years to visit the mage, only to learn that Xavier had killed him."

"Xavier! His father was the mage who taught you?" Belle asked.

"Yes. Though I understand he is no longer with us."

"He's dead, thank goodness, but the damage he did may take years to repair."

"It is good that he is gone then." Tiberius stood and turned to face Ramius.

"It is time for me to take my leave of you. I wanted to meet your lifemate and to have you know that I had not truly turned. Even though I cannot feel emotions there is a part of me that is relieved that you have found your lifemate." He bowed to Belle.

"Where are you going," asked Belle, "You can't leave now. You are part of Ramius, a brother to him." She sensed a finality in his words that left her uneasy.

"Ramius is saved, but I am not. The darkness is strong in me and I do not know how much longer I can hold out. If I turn, I will be a powerful vampire."

Belle had not done a reading on anyone since Guillermo and was reluctant, but she knew it might be the only way to help him. She prayed she would see what he needed and not precipitate another tragedy. She held her hand out to him.

Ramius stiffened. The thought of his lifemate touching another male for any reason caused his beast to roar. Belle turned to him.

"Please Ramius, I've been doing this for the males since I came to these mountains. Many of them have found their lifemates because of it." She pleaded with him with her eyes and he finally relented.

"Forgive me, beloved. I have found that jealousy is one of the unfortunate traits of a Carpathian male. I will attempt to control myself."

Belle turned to Tiberius and, again, extended her hands. He slowly reached out to take them in his own. She looked into his eyes and let her awareness expand to see the gossamer threads that bound lifemates together.

At first she saw those around herself and Ramius. They were fragile where they touched because the ritual had not been completed. Then she turned her awareness to Tiberius and saw the threads of his soul reaching out. It was odd that they seemed to reach for her and Ramius. It could only mean one thing. She pulled her awareness back in and let go of his hands. Ramius looked confused.

"Well, I hope you can hang onto your hope and honor for a few more years, Tiberius," Belle said. Both men looked at her.

"It appears that our daughter will be your lifemate." Two sets of eyebrows went up. "I would have to undertake another soul journey to be sure, but I saw your threads reaching for the two of us, Tiberius. That suggests that your lifemate has not been born yet. I do hope you won't leave us and condemn her to a life of loneliness."

"You are saying I have a lifemate who has not been born yet?"

"Yes. Didn't that seer in old Greece say much the same thing? Only, I don't think it will be another two thousand years. Can you hold out for another fifty or seventy-five years?"

"Are you sure of this?"

"I am as sure as I can be. I've been having visions since I was a child. My visions led to my becoming Carpathian or I would have died more than a century ago."

"Then I will endeavor to …hold out… as you put it. This is the most hope I have had in my long life." He bowed to her again and nodded to Ramius, then shifted to mist and was gone.

"_There are a number of caverns in this system that have pools and cascades of water, Ramius. Perhaps you and your lifemate would like to make use of them."_

Belle blushed and grinned at Ramius when she heard Tiberius parting thought.

"Our threads are barely touching, Ramius, and need to be strengthened," she said, as she brought his hand to her lips to kiss.

"Then we had better start working on that immediately," he said, taking her into his arms.

With the directions given to him mentally by Tiberius, Ramius held Belle to him and flew with her to one of the cavern pools.

**********

A/N: I was going to continue in this chapter, but this seemed to be a good place to stop. I could make excuses for taking so long to update, but I won't. I have a lot of distractions, not the least of which is being addicted to other people's stories on Fan Fiction. There is one more chapter and maybe an Epilogue. Hopefully it won't take weeks to get them done. Thank you to those who still like my story.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

With the directions sent to him by Tiberius, Ramius held Belle to him and flew with her to one of the cavern pools. The feel of her body next to his caused his beast to roar within him.

"_You could release me and let me follow you through the caverns."_

"_I do not wish to release you. I want you beside me, within me and around me for all time, lifemate."_

"_Is that so." _She wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled him just behind his ear, her fangs scraping gently across his skin.

"If you keep doing that, we will not make it to the springs." Ramius was at the end of his control. After hoping three thousand years for his lifemate and coming so close to the darkness, he was done with waiting. He hoped he could remember to consider Belle's innocence.

Belle knew she should exercise restraint and wait until they arrived at the cavern with the pools, because that was the way she was taught. Young ladies in the mid-1800's were expected to let their men lead them and not be aggressive. But Belle had witnessed so many changes in the way society viewed relationships and had no compunction about touching her man.

The fact that she was in his mind and he in hers gave her the confidence to follow her desires. With a thought she divested them both of their clothing. When he felt her skin next to his, Ramius nearly fell out of the air. Belle wrapped her legs around his waist and captured his mouth with hers.

They barely made it to the pool before collapsing together on the ground. In a moment, they were entwined, mind, body and soul. Ramius' recitation of the binding words as their bodies joined the first time united them for all eternity. One could not continue without the other.

It was nearly dawn when the two of them rested in the pool. Belle sat between Ramius' legs with her back against his chest, his arms around her. She was weak with exhaustion, and completely relaxed. Ramius' sigh of contentment was proof that he felt the same way.

After the first round of lovemaking, Ramius had sent his awareness into her body to make sure she would not be sore. The feel of his spirit inside her had incited another passionate interlude, and another after that.

Belle picked up the hand that rested on her abdomen and kissed the palm and each finger.

"_Now I understand,"_ She thought.

"_Understand what, my love?"_ Even his mental voice sounded tired and content.

"_I understand the need of lifemates to join together." _She felt his question in her mind. _"Oh, I knew about sex from reading the minds of humans and I had discussions with Deborah and the other women. But nothing prepared me for the reality."_ He nuzzled the top of her head with his lips.

"_Is the reality all that you expected, Beloved?"_

"_The reality is so much more than I could have imagined. I don't think I will ever get enough of you Ramius."_ She turned in his arms and straddled him, feeling his growing hardness. _"I thought you were tired."_

"_I think I am having a second wind."_ He pulled her close, covering her mouth with his and, again, filling the cavern with sounds of love.

The sun had barely set when Belle woke. She moved the soil from the top of them and extended her arms above her head, arching her body in a luxurious stretch. The feel of someone watching her caused her to open her eyes. Ramius lay with his head propped on his hand gazing at her. A small smile turned up the corners of her mouth and he bent his head to gently kiss both corners. He lifted her from the soil and laid her on a sheet he quickly created from the surrounding materials. Several hours passed before they were able to control themselves long enough to get dressed.

"Your hunger is beating at me lifemate. We must leave this place and feed."

"Ah, yes. Perhaps we can find a nice young couple." She closed her eyes as if imagining something incredibly delectable. "You can have the female and I will feed from the male. I can already smell the blood rushing through his veins."

Silence.

Belle opened her eyes and turned to her lifemate, only to see a predatory look on his face.

"Lifemate, I do not think I like the idea of you feeding on another male." Ramius was shocked at his own reaction. "Please forgive me, but the very thought makes me want to tear out the throat of this male, who ever he is."

"Ramius, are you jealous?" Belle asked. She remembered Blaine providing for Deborah, and realized she hadn't seen Deborah hunting on her own since meeting him.

"It seems I am." A look of chagrin crossed his face. "Perhaps it would be better if I went hunting and came back to feed you."

She smiled inwardly. "If that's what you wish, Ramius." Belle was not a submissive woman, but feeding from Ramius was an experience she enjoyed very much. "However, I think I will go with you so you won't have to come back here."

"Do you not like this chamber, Beloved?"

"The chamber is wonderful, Ramius, but we need to return to the others. I want to see if Deborah and Blaine and the children are well."

"You could simply call them on the common path."

"Ramius, I want to see them." She sent him all her love along with her determination to see her family.

"Very well my love, let us be on our way."

They found several young men in the city. Ramius' possessiveness was romantic but was becoming annoying. Belle remained unseen in the shadows at his request. After he fed from all of them, taking just a little blood from each, he turned to Belle. As she sank her fangs into his chest, they both wished they were back in the caverns.

Deborah rushed out to meet them when they arrived at the house, with Selene in her arms. The damage from the battle had been repaired.

"Tiberius fixed the house," said Deborah, after Belle asked about it, "I think he felt guilty for making such a mess. It was nearly off the foundation."

"I do not think he feels much at all, since he has not found his lifemate," said Ramius, "But I am glad he fixed the damage."

"It was only fair that he do so, little sister," said Blaine from behind them. Belle threw her arms around him. Ramius raised his eyebrows.

"You should not be embracing other men, Belle."

"Oh stop, Ramius. He's family." Belle glared at him. Deborah snickered.

"You were hurt, Blaine." He had marks on his face and hands from healing cuts, but his neck was unmarked.

"The armor Natalya and her aunts designed protected me and the others, Belle. Without it, I might well have been killed, as well as some of the other men. One of the vampires got through my defenses and went for my heart, just as you saw in your vision. Some used swords in an attempt to behead us."

"I have been so frightened for so long," Belle said, "When Tiberius grabbed me, I had one more vision that showed the battle going in our favor. Everyone else is well then?"

"Yes. Gabriel took the most injury but has nearly recovered. Sergey attacked him as he escorted Francesca and the children to the cavern. I believe he did not expect Dimitri to be nearby watching over Skyler. Gabriel is embarrassed at allowing himself to be ambushed."

"I should have been there for the battle as well," Ramius said, "I apologize."

"What you were doing was important, Ramius. You needed to rescue Belle from a perceived threat and a male fighting the darkness would have to be much stronger than any of us to refrain from claiming his lifemate when he's found her. We all would have done the same. I believe you showed amazing restraint as it is."

Belle took Selene from Deborah and held her to her shoulder. Her little body was so soft and cuddly. Belle gently rubbed the tiny head with her other hand.

"Our child will be lifemate to Tiberius," she said. Blaine looked at Ramius, who nodded.

"Are you sure?" Deborah asked. Belle nodded.

"I did a reading for him and the threads of his life seemed to be reaching for us." A shadow passed over Belle's face. "There is darkness though. The road to their joining will be very rough. I hope he is strong enough to make the journey."

"Tiberius has endured for over three thousand years. He will make it a few more. Just knowing there is hope will give him the strength to last until his lifemate is available."

Deborah spoke up. "When he was here, Selene connected with him. She seems to have a talent, even as an infant, to ease the darkness in our unmated males. He seemed more at peace when he left."

"That is a rare and wonderful gift," said Ramius.

"It is said that Ivory has the gift, or did many years ago," said Blaine, "After all that has happened to her, I don't know if it is still active."

"We can hope it is." Ramius changed the subject. "I wish to speak with Mikhail to find a suitable place to build a home for my lifemate. We are enjoying the caverns where we have been staying, but I think she would like a real home."

Belle smiled up at him. "Home is where you are, Ramius."

"You are welcome to stay with us until you get settled," Deborah said.

"That's sweet of you Deborah, but you and Blaine need some privacy, even if Samantha is still living here. I'm afraid we will get on each other's nerves eventually."

"Why Belle, don't you really mean you and Ramius want privacy?" Blaine asked. They all laughed.

"You know me too well," she said, laughing.


	15. Chapter 15

Epilogue

Three years later.

The healing cavern was filled with the Birthing Chant as Carpathians inside and outside the cave awaited the arrival of their new members. The healers were gathered around the couple on the soil. Belle gave one last push to bring her daughter into the world. Voices went silent as they waited anxiously. Suddenly a shrill cry filled the cavern as the infant announced herself. The umbilical cord was cut and she was placed next to her brother on a blanket.

As Francesca helped Belle expel the afterbirth and completed the healing, Gregori and Deborah picked the babies up and turned to the waiting assemblage.

"Welcome a son for all to cherish," said Gregori, holding the little boy up to the prince.

"Welcome a daughter for all to cherish," said Deborah, as she held the little girl up.

Mikhail laid a hand on each child's head and said, "A fine, healthy boy and a fine healthy girl. You are beautiful. Son. Daughter. Sister. Brother. You lives are linked to ours for all time. You are Carpathian. It is an honor and privilege to welcome you."

Gregori and Deborah held the children up high to cheers that echoed throughout the chamber. They turned and handed the children to their parents.

Ramius looked at his children with reverence.

"They are so beautiful, Belle. Sometimes I can hardly believe our lives have been so wonderful."

"I know. So much has happened in our lives. We deserve some joy, don't you think?"

Ramius' answer was to lean down and kiss her.

Belle and the babies were cleaned up and the babies dressed. Carpathians came individually to offer congratulations, Tiberius among them. He looked at the twins a long time, he gaze drawn the girl.

"You have done well," he said to both of them, "I see only an infant at this time, and that is as it should be. I will follow Cedric's example. If it becomes too difficult, I will go to ground again."

"I hope it will not be necessary, old friend," said Ramius, "I hope that you will be available to teach them as they grow. You have much knowledge to impart."

"As do you, Ramius. Very well, I shall do my best. I will teach them before they are of age, before the mating instinct is triggered. When it gets close I will distance myself from her to give her a little time."

"Thank you, Tiberius," Belle said. She was suddenly overcome by images that passed by almost too quickly to see. There were glimpses of vampires and of other creatures, very pale and fanged, but different from the vampires she knew. Belle saw a young woman and a young man fighting for their lives. They were helping a beautiful blonde woman and a tall, pale blonde man with bared fangs. She knew she was seeing her children as adults, but didn't know who the others were. The fanged blonde man was not Carpathian. Ramius caught the vision from her mind.

Mikhail, feeling Belle's distress, came over to them.

"What are you seeing, Belle?"

"Our children are going to be in great danger." She was crying as she spoke. "They are in a strange place and they are in danger." She looked up at Mikhail. "They are adults when this is happening."

"These things are likely for all our children to face," he said gently.

"No, this is something else. I have the feeling this is happening in another world. They won't have us to help them." Belle was sobbing now.

Gregori was at her side.

"We will teach them. We will give them the tools to protect themselves."

"I will teach them," Tiberius said.

"And I," said Gregori.

"And we will, also," came a voice behind the men. Ivory and Razvan approached the group with wolves ranging about them. Raja walked up to sniff the infants. He looked directly at Belle.

"_We will help."_ Belle started and the eyes of the men went wide. She reached out to rub the fur on the alpha wolf's head and sent, _"Thank you."_

"Well then, we will begin the task of giving them knowledge immediately. Not just these two but all our children. We will teach them to use this knowledge as their skills develop," Mikhail said, "I believe your children will be the best educated and trained Carpathians our race has ever seen."

Belle looked around at them. She felt at peace knowing her children would be armed with the knowledge of the best of their ancients. She bowed her head at all of them. Glimpses of the future could be frightening, but there was no point in being afraid of what might happen. They would all raise and love these children and they would grow up ready for whatever faced them.

End.

A/N: There. It's done. I hope you all enjoy it. Someday, I will learn to write longer, more detailed stories. Maybe. I do have another one planned, but I think I will write all of it and edit before posting anything, so it will be a while. Thank you, everyone who read my stories, whether you review or not. You all gave me so much encouragement.


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